BJP downplays Giriraj Singh's 'white skinned' remark on Sonia

Attempting to downplay Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Giriraj Singh's 'white skinned' remark on Congress president Sonia Gandhi, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday said the party MP from Bihar has expressed regret over his statement.

BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said that an issue which is over should not be unnecessarily dragged.

"The Bharatiya Janata Party has already made its stand clear. An issue which is over shouldn't be dragged," said Hussain.

"Giriraj Singh has expressed regret over his statement, for the BJP the issue gets over there," he added.

The BJP's reaction comes in wake of massive protests by the Congress party demanding Giriraj Singh's resignation for his 'racist' comment.

Earlier on Wednesday, Singh had said his comment on Sonia Gandhi was made 'off the record' and added that it was being presented by the media in a different light.

"The things that are being shown by the media were something that was said was off the record. People say many kinds of things at home or outside. The way it was presented is a different issue. But If I have hurt anyone's sentiments including Sonia ji and Rahul ji, I regret what I said," he told ANI.

Singh, who was sitting among a group of his supporters in Hajipur in Bihar, had jocularly asked whether Sonia's "white skin" had been her ticket to securing the top job in the Congress Party.

Stoking the controversy further, he further queried, "If Rajiv (Gandhi) had married a Nigerian, things would have been different."

The BJP leader's comments were also deplored by Nigerian High Commissioner to India O.B. Okongor.