My 'waiter' tweet misinterpreted, I thinks Jaitley looks exceptional: Swamy

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ANI Thiruvananthapuram
Last Updated : Jun 25 2016 | 5:48 PM IST

In a complete turn of events, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy who came under fire for allegedly targeting Finance Minister Arun Jaitley saying that Indian politicians look like waiters when they wear western clothes abroad, said here on Saturday that his tweets on the matter had been taken out of context, adding that he thought that Jaitley looked quite good when he travelled abroad.

Speaking to the media here, Swamy said that he had always targeted politicians in western threads when they travelled abroad, even during the UPA regime.

"This is part of bharatiyakaran. I have always been in Indian clothes and I have always practiced what I preach. It was not aimed at anyone else. Actually Mr. Jaitley looks very good, he looks like an exception," Swamy said.

On Friday, Swamy posted on Twitter saying, "BJP should direct our Ministers to wear traditional and modernised Indian clothes while abroad. In coat and tie they look like waiters."

Even though he didn't name anyone, his tweet soon as Jaitley came on TV channels wearing a coat and tie while meeting officials in Beijing.

Swamy also slammed reports saying that the BJP leadership was annoyed with him and was contemplating action.

According to reports, Senior BJP leaders said that Swamy had overstepped the "limits of decency" while "weakening the foundations of the government" with his public attacks, including the alleged one on Jaitley.

Continuing his assault on Vadra, who took on the BJP leader for 'undermining' waiters, Swamy said that Vadra was offended because his mother was a waitress in a small restaurant in England.

"I did not make fun of waiters, I only said that politicians should not look like waiters, the matter is over now," Swamy said.

Vadra had taken on Swamy saying the latter's derogatory remark about waiters, who work so hard for their living, are 'deplorable and classist'.

"So is there no dignity in being a Waiter ?! The attention seeking BJP MP Swamy's comment "Ministers who wear a coat and tie "look like waiters" and must be instructed to wear Indian clothes." Undermining waiters who work hard for a living; making condescending and derogatory remarks about them is deplorable and classist," Vadra said on Facebook.

Later, in response, Swamy said that Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law should concentrate on staying out of jail instead of commenting on political issues.

"I think Mr.Vadra should concentrate on staying out of jail and not comment on political issues," Swamy told the reporters.

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First Published: Jun 25 2016 | 5:48 PM IST

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