BJP wants FM's apology after paper regrets Guj CM

The BJP demanded an apology from finance minister P Chidambaram for his attack on Narendra Modi after a newspaper expressed regret for misquoting the Gujarat chief minister.

The BJP demanded an apology from finance minister P Chidambaram for his attack on Narendra Modi after a newspaper expressed regret for misquoting the Gujarat chief minister.

BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said, "Chidambaram based his statement on a report in the Indian Express. Much to the minister's discomfort, the Indian Express, has issued a clarification and expressed regret."

Sitharaman also said, "In his hasty statement, unbecoming of a Union minister, he betrays his party's incapacity and frustration to politically engage with Modi. The BJP demands an apology for the signed statement by Chidambaram, now that the Indian Express has issued its regret."

She said through his hurried statement, "typically worded with pompousness and put-on sarcasm," Chidambaram has only rushed to cover-up his failures to manage the economy. "The minister has failed to check what actually was said by Modi. Had he only checked the speech, Chidambaram would have known that 'aarthiksankat' were the exact words used and not 'inflation.'

A day earlier, Chidambaram had referred to the newspaper report in his signed statement to criticise Modi for what he called "his first lesson in economics." Chidamabram had chided Modi for quoting him as saying that buying gold was causing inflation.