Karnataka minister R Roshan Baig uses expletive against Modi, kicks up a row
, ET Bureau|
Updated: Oct 14, 2017, 12.38 AM IST
BENGALURU/NEW DELHI: After Digvijaya Singh and Manish Tewari’s shocking tweets last month targeting the Prime Minister, another Congress leader, Karnataka minister R Roshan Baig, was found using unparliamentary language against Narendra Modi.
Baig was at the centre of a controversy on Friday after a video emerged showing him hurling a Tamil expletive at the PM. His comments triggered an angry reaction from BJP.
Referring to the “troubles faced by the poor due to demonetisation”, Baig, at a party meeting in his constituency Shivajinagar on October 3, made a casual derogatory reference to the PM without naming him. He contrasts this with the “good schemes” of Siddaramaiah, such as Anna Bhagya and Ksheera Bhagya. He also says, in another slangy Tamil reference, that the PM “bluffs” in his AIR show, ‘Mann Ki Baat’.
Later in the speech, of which a visual clipping has been circulated among the media, Baig talks of BJP state president BS Yeddyurappa too. He says: “Siddaramaiah has implemented projects as CM. But Yeddyurappa, when he was CM, only looked at Shobha.” A furious Yeddyurappa has slammed Baig’s speech and demanded his ouster from the Cabinet.
He made no references to Baig’s slur against him, but said the remarks against the PM were “nasty and derogatory by all standards and an insult not only to the PM but to 125 crore Indians.”
BJP national spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao told ET: “The filthy comment reflects the crass culture of Congress and shows the frustration of Congress leaders in Karnataka about their impending defeat in the next assembly elections.”
After all-round condemnation Baig has expressed regret for hurting sentiment, adding that he only knew “tooti-phooti” Tamil. “I have the highest respect and regards forthe PM. He is not a BJP PM, he is the PM of the nation. I don’t know Tamil properly and I just quoted what people and traders said after GST and demonetisation.”
Baig was at the centre of a controversy on Friday after a video emerged showing him hurling a Tamil expletive at the PM. His comments triggered an angry reaction from BJP.
Referring to the “troubles faced by the poor due to demonetisation”, Baig, at a party meeting in his constituency Shivajinagar on October 3, made a casual derogatory reference to the PM without naming him. He contrasts this with the “good schemes” of Siddaramaiah, such as Anna Bhagya and Ksheera Bhagya. He also says, in another slangy Tamil reference, that the PM “bluffs” in his AIR show, ‘Mann Ki Baat’.
Later in the speech, of which a visual clipping has been circulated among the media, Baig talks of BJP state president BS Yeddyurappa too. He says: “Siddaramaiah has implemented projects as CM. But Yeddyurappa, when he was CM, only looked at Shobha.” A furious Yeddyurappa has slammed Baig’s speech and demanded his ouster from the Cabinet.
He made no references to Baig’s slur against him, but said the remarks against the PM were “nasty and derogatory by all standards and an insult not only to the PM but to 125 crore Indians.”
BJP national spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao told ET: “The filthy comment reflects the crass culture of Congress and shows the frustration of Congress leaders in Karnataka about their impending defeat in the next assembly elections.”
After all-round condemnation Baig has expressed regret for hurting sentiment, adding that he only knew “tooti-phooti” Tamil. “I have the highest respect and regards forthe PM. He is not a BJP PM, he is the PM of the nation. I don’t know Tamil properly and I just quoted what people and traders said after GST and demonetisation.”
