Hate speech row: Ravi Shankar Prasad slams 'desperate' Congress

Minister for Communications and IT, Ravi Shankar Prasad on Thursday slammed the Congress Party as 'desperate and short of issues' for being adamant on MP Niranjan Jyoti's resignation, even after Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that he did not approve of the Minister's derogatory expressions.

"The Prime Minister stated that he does not approve the expression used by the minister and that she has tendered an apology. If yet, the Congress party is insisting (on resignation), then I can only say that they are desperate and short of issues," said Prasad.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier today in the Rajya Sabha requested the opposition to accept Niranjan Jyoti's apology and let the House function.

He said he had already criticized such language at several meetings outside the House, and the opposition must now think of closure and accept Jyoti's apology.

Opposition leaders, however, were unwavering in their stance demanding the first-time Member of Parliament's resignation over her inappropriate remarks while addressing voters in west Delhi's Shyam Nagar.

"All parties together have decided that the answer is not the Prime Minister's statement, want the Minister to resign or the Prime Minister must remove her," said Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien.

The Rajya Sabha, meanwhile, was adjourned till 2 pm today amidst the uproar raised over the issue. The house reportedly witnessed several adjournments despite appeals by the Prime Minister, Leader of the House and Parliamentary Affairs Minister to the opposition to take up regular business.