Bengaluru/New Delhi, April 2
The BJP on Thursday said that the issue of union minister Giriraj Singh's comments against Congress president Sonia Gandhi should be put to rest as the minister has expressed regret.

"The minister has expressed regrets over his remarks and the matter should now be closed," BJP spokesperson Syed Shahnawaz Hussain said in Bengaluru.

"The party has already clarified on the issue," he added.

Party general secretary Ram Madhav earlier told reporters: "Giriraj Singh has clarified about his comment, matter ends."

Reacting on the issue, Sonia Gandhi, first expressing ignorance of the remarks, declined to comment on people who have a "narrow mindset".

Singh had told reporters in Patna on Tuesday that he wondered if former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi had married a woman who was not white-skinned, the Congress would have accepted her as its president. He later expressed regret over the comment.

According to party sources, BJP president Amit Shah had spoken to Singh on Wednesday and pulled him up over the comments.

However, Hussain said that Singh's remarks cannot be compared to the derogatory comments made on a TV show in 2012 by Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam on BJP leader Smriti Irani (now the human resource development minister), which he defended again.

"It is not right to compare the two issues. That is Congress' culture... the kind of comments they give. Our party has expressed regret," Hussain said.

Nirupam had told Irani: "Till yesterday you were dancing on television and today you have become a politician."

Congress protests minister's remark on Sonia Gandhi

Congress workers on Thursday protested union Minister Giriraj Singh's remark on party president Sonia Gandhi's skin colour that triggered an outrage with many party leaders condemning it.

Over 50 Delhi Pradesh Mahila Congress members staged a demonstration outside the Bharatiya Janata Party's office at Ashoka Road here.

Holding Congress party flags, the protestors raised slogans against the minister of state for micro, small and medium enterprises, and called for his resignation.

Giriraj Singh told reporters in Patna on Tuesday: "If Rajiv Gandhi had married a Nigerian and if she wasn't white-skinned, would the Congress have accepted her as a leader."

This comment triggered an outrage following which Giriraj Singh backtracked and said he regretted making the remark.

On Thursday, members of the Congress party raised slogans saying: "Naari ka apmaan. Modiji ki chuppi" (Modi is silent while women are being insulted).

"At least 46 women protestors were taken in a bus to the Tilak Marg police station where they were detained and released later," said a police official.

Earlier, a few Congress workers protested outside Vithal Bhai Patel House in New Delhi area around 9.30 a.m. and were detained by police.

"Some 30-32 people were protesting and were detained," Joint Commissioner of Police M.K. Meena told IANS.

Some of the protestors wanted Prime Minister Narendra Modi to act in the matter.