Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Gadkari on Thursday expressed regret for his remarks likening Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and Rashtriya Janata Dal's (RJD) Lalu Prasad to "dogs who lick the feet of the Congress".
"I regret the comment made on Wednesday and take back my words. I have a lot of respect for Mulayam Singh Yadav and Lalu Prasad," Gadkari said at the beginning of his meet-the-press programme at the Chandigarh Press Club.
"The comment created a wrong impression."
"Meri baat ki bhavna alag thi (The essence of my comment was different)," he added.
Gadkari had Wednesday night accused Mulayam Singh and Lalu Prasad of betraying the opposition on the recent cut motions in parliament at a rally.
"Bade dakarte the sher jaise, aur kutte ke jaise ban kar Sonia-ji aur Congress ke ghar par talve chatne lage' (these leaders were roaring like lions but later bowed like dogs to lick the feet of Sonia and the Congress)," he said.