Congress steps up anti-Giriraj Singh protests against BJP in Mumbai, Bengaluru

The Congress party on Thursday stepped up its attack on Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and union minister Giriraj Singh for his controversial remarks against their party president Sonia Gandhi in Mumbai and Bengaluru.

"We condemn the statement made by Giriraj singh and demand the prime minister to remove him from his post," said Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam.

Meanwhile, the Youth Congress and Mahila Congress took on the streets of Bengaluru demanding Giriraj Singh's resignation.

"Narendra Modi had said in his manifesto that dignity of women will be respected, but today their own minister has disgraced Indian women," said a protestor.

"This is shameful on the part of Narendra Modi, he should drop the ministers immediately and till the time the minister is not dropped, we will continue the strike" he added.

Earlier in the day, Congress workers had staged a protest outside Giriraj Singh's residence.

"This is the BJP's atrocity. They talk about women empowerment but insult women. The Prime Minister says 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao'. Their duplicity won't work," said a protester, Jagdish Sharma.

The party also reiterated the demand for Singh's resignation.

"When a minister uses such language, nothing less than his resignation is acceptable," party spokesperson Shobha Oza told ANI.

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."

Singh's comments were also deplored by the Nigerian High Commissioner to India, O B Okongor.