New Delhi: Day after accusing Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of not doing anything in the wake of violent protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and comparing him to eunuchs for “wanting power without responsibilities”, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor issued an apology on Twitter.

In an interview to CNN-News 18 on Monday, Tharoor had said, “Mr Kejriwal is trying to have it both ways. He has made statements deploring the CAA and NRC but has not taken any tangible action. He has not even shown human compassion one expects from a chief minister from victims of violence in his state. In any other state, had students been bashed up in this manner, the chief minister would have visited them and shown them some concern. Mr Kejriwal really wants power without responsibility, which we all know has been the prerogative of eunuchs for ages (sic).”

#TharoorOnNews18 – Mr. Kejriwal really wants power without responsibility, which we all know has been the prerogative of eunuchs for ages: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor)Watch #NewsEpicentre with @maryashakil. #CitizenshipShowdown pic.twitter.com/WhcP5paCAt — News18 (@CNNnews18) January 13, 2020

There was massive outrage on Twitter after Tharoor’s remarks, with many users saying the comments were unacceptable.

While he apologised for the comments in a tweet on Tuesday morning, he regretted only the use of the line “power without responsibility” and did not mention the eunuch reference.

“Apologies to those who found my quote about “power without responsibility” offensive. It’s an old line from British politics, going back to Kipling & PrimeMinister Stanley Baldwin, &most recently used by Tom Stoppard. I recognize that its use today was inappropriate &withdraw it,” the Congress leader tweeted.

Apologies to those who found my quote about "power without responsibility" offensive. It's an old line from British politics, going back to Kipling & PrimeMinister Stanley Baldwin, &most recently used by Tom Stoppard. I recognize that its use today was inappropriate &withdraw it. — Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) January 13, 2020

Tharoor has been taking potshots at Kejriwal ever since violence broke out in Jawaharlal Nehru University campus on January 5.

In a tweet on Friday, the Congress leader had questioned why the Delhi chief minister is not standing up for citizens’ rights to protest.

“The police may have been acting (or not) on orders, but who ordered the Delhi CM not to stand up for citizens’ rights to protest? Not to visit the injured? Not to object as campuses in his state became centres of carnage? Not all blame can be so easily deflected,” Tharoor said in a tweet on Friday.

Later, speaking to media persons, he had said, “Once during the time of Sheila Dikshit you (Kejriwal) had tweeted that do we want a weak CM, you should go and read that same tweet today.”

Tharoor visited JNU and Jamia Millia Islamia universities and Shaleen Bagh protest on Sunday to express solidarity with those protesting against the CAA. took a metro train to reach Jawaharlal Nehru University where he addressed the students and condemned the violence by a masked mob on January 5.