Giriraj Singh's 'white-skinned' remark raises question on BJP's mindset, says Nitish

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday condemned Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Giriraj Singh's 'white skinned' remark on Congress president Sonia Gandhi and said that the statement raised a serious question on the mindset of ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre.

"The issue is not just about the person, who made such a comment. It raises a serious question on mindset of the entire party and the government. This is not the first time that such objectionable statements have been made," the chief minister said.

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

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"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.