Even 'jocular' remark can be misinterpreted, says Congress

Congress leader Manish Tewari on Saturday said even a jocular remark can be misinterpreted these days, and added that one should refrain from making such statements

Tewari, who was reacting to Sharad Yadav's 'dark-skinned south Indian women' comment during a debate in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, said the Janata Dal (United) chief is a very senior parliamentarian and he has long-standing experience in parliamentary polemics.

"But given the times of political correctness that we live in, even a jocular remark can be misinterpreted these days. So, we should refrain from making such statements," he added.

The JD (U) chief had made a sexist comment on south Indian women in the Rajya Sabha.

The senior politician from Bihar talked about the Indian obsession with fair skin during a debate on the Insurance Bill.

"Your god is dark like Ravi Shankar Prasad (present in the House), but your matrimonial ads insist on white-skinned brides," he said as the male members burst into laughter.

"The women of the south are dark but they are as beautiful as their bodies...We don't see it here. They know dance," he added while discussing the complexion of south Indian women.

The JD (U) chief's remark, however, did not go well with the women lawmakers, with DMK MP Kanimozhi strongly objecting to it.