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Kirti Azad says 'sorry' for 'neither male...' tweet on PM Modi after party's rap
Kirti Azad drew flak for his comment on PM Modi's attire in Shillong as he implied that what PM Modi wore is a women's dress. Chief ministers of the northeastern states strongly objected to his comment and said the TMC MP hurt their traditional attire.
Trinamool leader Kirti Azad on Friday apologised for his comment on PM Modi's Khasi tribal outfit a day after defending his comment as praise for PM Modi's fashion sense, and said his comment was misconstrued and hurt the sentiments of people. "To them, I say sorry. Have immense respect and pride for our diverse cultures. I regret the hurt caused by my unintentional remark. I reiterate my pledge to work to uphold our constitutional values always," the cricketer-turned-Rajya Sabha MP tweeted after his party distanced from his comment.
“Upon reflecting on the concerns raised by the people, I reiterate my pledge to work towards upholding our constitutional values at every step. @AITCofficial has always respected people from varied backgrounds and I wholeheartedly espouse the values followed by our leaders,” the Trinamool leader tweeted.
“As a soldier of the party, I have always followed the path laid down by our Constitution which calls for respecting and honouring our diversity. Anything that appears like an inadvertent digression from that path is absolutely regrettable,” Kirti Azad added.
The controversial tweet in which Kirti Azad wrote 'neither male nor female' juxtaposing PM Modi's photo with a woman's floral dress was also deleted.
Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma on Thursday posted a photo wearing the same traditional outfit in a protest condemning Kirti Azad's comment. "Proud of our culture .. condemn those who disrespect us," the chief minister tweeted.
As Kirti Azad's comment drew criticism, the Trinamool said it does not endorse Kirti Azad's comments and strongly condemn it. "We uphold India's diversity and respect the vibrant culture of our nation. Proudly, we celebrate the ethnic traditions of diverse people and strive to empower them," the party tweeted.
