Union Minister Giriraj Singh caused embarrassment to the government and triggered outrage on Wednesday with a racist remark about Congress president Sonia Gandhi's skin colour. The Congress demanded his dismissal, while Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra said he was "appalled" at the remark which was a reflection of the BJP leader's lack of respect for women.

Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah is said to have called up Giriraj Singh, the minister of state for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME), and rebuked him for the remark on Sonia Gandhi.

The Nigerian mission in New Delhi indicated it might take up the issue with the Indian government.

Giriraj Singh, who has also stoked controversy in the past, told reporters in Patna on Tuesday that he wondered if former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi had married a woman who was not white-skinned, would the Congress have accepted her as its president.

"If Rajiv Gandhi had married a Nigerian and if she wasn't white-skinned, would the Congress accept her (Sonia Gandhi) as a leader," he said.

After the remarks caused outrage, Giriraj Singh expressed regret and said his remarks were made during an off-the-record conversation.

"During off-the-record conversation, there is talk of different kinds. How it was presented... If Sonia-ji or Rahul-ji have been hurt by my remarks, I express regret," he said.

Businessperson Vadra wrote on Facebook: "I am appalled to read the comments by a union minister (Giriraj) on my mother-in-law, a woman of immense dignity. Is this the way we speak about a lady who has undergone hardships all through her life and has lost her loved ones for the nation. If the government and its ministers cannot respect her, if they make sexist/racist comments about her, what about all other women in country?" he asked.

Nigerian diplomat O.B. Okongor said Giriraj Singh should apologise for his racist remarks.

Terming the remarks unfortunate, Okongor said he expects the minister to withdraw the comment and apologise.

The diplomat said: "It was unfortunate that the comment is coming from a minister who also doubles as representative of India."

"He should withdraw the comment and apologise to the people of Nigeria," the diplomat added.

The Nigerian official said he would file a complaint against the minister's remark with the Indian foreign ministry and notify his government for further instructions on the issue.

Distancing the party from Giriraj Singh's remarks, BJP spokesperson Nalin Kohli said these were remarks of an individual and "by no standard reflected thinking of BJP or the government".

"The comment is inappropriate, derogatory. He has expressed regret," Kohli said.

Politicians roundly slammed the comments.

Congress leaders sought Giriraj Singh's removal from the government.

"It reflects a degenerated mindset... How dare he say that about Sonia Gandhi who is our president," Congress general secretary Ambika Sonia said, adding that Giriraj Singh expresed regret when things started "getting hot for him".

Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, in a statement, condemned "the intemperate and distasteful remarks", saying they border "on insanity".

Surjewala said that in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections, Giriraj Singh had said everybody opposing Narendra Modi should leave India and go to Pakistan.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad described as "dirty politics" Giriraj Singh's remarks and said that by targeting Sonia Gandhi, the minister exposed the true colour of his training in the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

"For conduct of this nature, he was rewarded by being appointed as a minister in the union cabinet... the prime minister must dismiss such a minister and apologise to the nation."

Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Brinda Karat termed the remarks "disgusting and sickening".

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar termed the remarks "highly condemnable".

In Patna, a group of Youth Congress workers threw eggs and tomatoes at Giriraj Singh's house in Anandpuri area. They also tore off hoardings and posters of the minister at his residence.---
New Delhi, April 1
A top Nigerian diplomat here on Wednesday asked union minister Giriraj Singh to apologise for making racist remarks about Congress chief Sonia Gandhi while referring to Nigerian people.

Terming the remarks as unfortunate, Nigerian diplomat O.B. Okongor said "he expects the minister to withdraw the comment and apologize".

The diplomat said: "It was unfortunate that the comment is coming from a minister who also doubles as representative of India."

"He should withdraw the comment and apologize to the people of Nigeria," the diplomat told Times Now channel.

The Nigerian official also said that he would file a complaint against the minister's remark with the Indian foreign ministry and notify his government for further instructions on the issue.

At an event in Bihar on Tuesday, Giriraj Singh, minister of state for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) said: "If Rajiv Gandhi had married a Nigerian and if she wasn't white skinned, would Congress accept her (Sonia Gandhi) as a leader?"

Giriraj remarks on Sonia cause outrage; Congress seeks removal

Union minister Giriraj Singh's racist remarks suggesting Sonia Gandhi was made Congress president for being a "white-skinned" person caused a national outrage on Wednesday with the Congress demanding his dismissal and an apology from the prime minister.

The remarks evoked nationwide condemnation with the Nigerian government slated to take up the issue with India's external affairs ministry.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) distanced itself from the union minister's remarks terming them "derogatory" and "inappropriate".

Giriraj Singh, who is the minister of state for micro, small and medium enterprises, also stoked controversies in the past, leaving his party embarrassed.

At an event in Bihar on Tuesday, Giriraj Singh said that he wondered if former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi had married a woman who was not white-skinned, would the Congress have accepted her as its president.

"If Rajiv Gandhi had married a Nigerian and if she wasn't white-skinned, would the Congress accept her (Sonia Gandhi) as a leader,", Giriraj Singh said.

After his remarks caused outrage, Giriraj Singh regretted his remarks while terming the conversation off-the-record.

"During off-the-record conversation, there is talk of different kinds. How it was presented ... If Sonia-ji or Rahul-ji have been hurt by my remarks, I express regret," Singh said.

Congress leaders, however, sought Giriraj Singh's removal from the government.

"It reflects a degenerated mindset... How dare he say who is our president," Congress general secretary Ambika Sonia said, adding that he expresed regret when things started "getting hot for him".

"This man must be made to quit the government. People must know they have to pay for such mindset," Soni told a news channel.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, in a statement, condemned "the intemperate and distasteful remarks", saying they border "on insanity".

"It appears that continuous quest to appease Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made him lose his balance. Such remarks are reflective of lack of moral fibre in BJP and its cadre," he said.

Surjewala said that in the run up to the Lok Sabha elections, Giriraj Singh had said everybody opposing Narendra Modi should leave India and go to Pakistan.

"For conduct of this nature, he was rewarded by being appointed as a minister in the union cabinet... the prime minister must dismiss such a minister and apologise to the nation."

Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad said Giriraj Singh had exposed the true colour of his training in the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Brinda Karat termed the remarks as "disgusting and sickening".

Nigeria's top diplomat O.B. Okongor termed Singh's remarks as "unfortunate" and demanded an apology.

"It is unfortunate that the comment is coming from a minister who also doubles as representative of India."

Okongor said the minister should withdraw his remarks and the high commission will make a complaint with India's external affairs ministry.

Giriraj Singh had Tuesday also made remarks about Rahul Gandhi's "leave of absence" and likened it to the "missing Malaysian airliner".

Distancing the party from Giriraj Singh's remarks, BJP spokesperson Nalin Kohli said these were remarks of an individual and "by no standard reflected thinking of BJP or the government".

"The comment is inappropriate, derogatory. He has expressed regret," Kohli said.

Kohli said that the BJP and government had consistently put out their thinking about issues concerning women.

Giriraj Singh's remarks came a day before the start of the national executive meeting of the BJP in Bengaluru.

Vadra hits out at Giriraj Singh

 Congress president Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra on Wednesday lashed out at union minister Giriraj Singh after he made racist remarks about her "white skin".

"Appalled to read the comments by a union minister on the Congress president, my mother-in-law," said a post on Vadra's Facebook page.

Describing her as a woman of "immense dignity", Vadra said: "Is this the way we speak about a lady who has undergone hardships all (through) her life and has lost her loved ones for the nation?

"If the government and their ministers cannot respect her, if they make sexist, racist comments about her, what about all the other women in our country?"

At an event in Bihar on Tuesday, Singh said: "If Rajiv Gandhi had married a Nigerian and if she wasn't white skin, would Congress accept her (Sonia Gandhi) as a leader?"

Minister's remark on Sonia Gandhi triggers row
Causing yet another embarrassment to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), union minister Giriraj Singh raked up a controversy with his "white skin" remark on Congress president Sonia Gandhi but "regretted" it a day later on Wednesday.

The statement, however, prompted the Congress party to seek an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demand the errant minister's sacking.

At an event in Bihar on Tuesday, Singh, the Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) said: "If Rajiv Gandhi had married a Nigerian and if she wasn't white skinned, would Congress accept her (Sonia Gandhi) as a leader?"

Just a day ahead of the BJP's national executive meet, the remark triggered a volley of reactions from across the political spectrum as well as the Nigerian envoy in Delhi.

Left fuming over the "racist" remarks, the Congress lashed out at the union minister, saying: "The Congress strongly deprecates and condemns the intemperate and distasteful remarks of the union minister, bordering on insanity.

"It appears that continuous quest to appease Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made him lose his balance. Such remarks are reflective of lack of moral fiber in BJP and its cadre," it added.

Singh, however, said: "It was an off the record remark."

"People do talk off the record with each other and it's a different thing how it is presented. If I have hurt anyone's sentiments, including Sonia and Rahul, I regret what I said," he said.

The BJP later distanced itself from the controversy.

"The BJP doesn't do politics over colour or caste. We believe in 'Sabka saath sabka vikas' (Cooperation of all, development of all)," BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain said.

Baffled at the minister's choice of words, Acting Nigerian High Commissioner to India OB Okongor remarked, "The minister should have been much more circumspect..."

"We have good bilateral relations with India...but the union minister's remarks are uncalled for, unacceptable," he added.

Meanwhile, CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat also condemned Singh's remarks saying: "This is a very derogatory remark and in full contempt for working women, this is racist."

Seeking explanation from Modi, she said: "He (Giriraj Singh) is a serial offender. The PM has a duty to publicly correct this situation. What is the PM's 'Mann ki Baat' on this? His silence reflects connivance and encouragement."

Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh called for an "action" against the Barahiya MP as it was not the first time he had made such a derogatory remark.

Earlier during 2014 general elections, Singh had asked those opposing his party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi to "leave India and go to Pakistan".