BJP MP Paresh Rawal tweets 'bar-wala' jibe, then apologises

BJP MP Paresh Rawal hit back with a tweet at the Congress over the "chai-wala" jibe aimed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier on, but the move backfired and led to him apologising for the potshot.

The actor-turned-politician, who is an MP from Ahmedabad East, on Tuesday night tweeted: "Our chai-wala is any day better than your bar-wala", in response to a meme posted on the official Twitter handle of the Indian Youth Congress online magazine 'Yuva Desh'.

Rawal deleted the tweet late on Tuesday night and admitted it was in "bad taste".

"Deleted the tweet as it's in bad taste and I apologise for hurting feelings," Rawal said.

Congress leader Randeep Surjewala on Wednesday demanded an apology from Modi over the tweet by the BJP MP.

"Will the BJP MPs from Gujarat now resort to this cheapness and dirt. Is this the BJP's definition of respecting women. Modiji should apologise and take action," Surjewala tweeted.

A meme by 'Yuva Desh' on Tuesday targeted Modi and created a controversy, forcing Congress youth wing chief Amarinder Singh Raja to later apologise for it though he maintained the Twitter handle was operated by volunteers and not by the youth body as such.

The meme -- in which British Prime Minister Theresa May was portrayed as asking Modi to "go sell tea" -- was deleted after it was reported by the media.

It also drew disapproval from the Congress and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah and strong condemnation from the Bharatiya Janata Party.

--IANS

vn/ps/tsb/bg