Zeenews Bureau
New Delhi: Irked by Congress member Sanjay Nirupam’s personal attack on TV actress-turned-politician Smriti Irani during a debate on a TV news channel, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday took a tough stand on the issue.
Addressing a press conference, BJP chief spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad informed that Smiriti Irani has filed a defamation case against Nirupam.
During a debate on a news channel on the issue of Narendra Modi's hat-trick of victories in Gujarat, Nirupam told Irani: "Char din hue hain aur aap rajnitik vishleshak bani firti hain. Aap toh TV pe thumke lagati thi, aaj chunavi vishleshak ban gayi (It's only four days of your entry into politics and you have become a political analyst...Till some time ago you were dancing on the TV screens and now you have become a psephologist)!"
Slamming Nirupam for his statements, the Rajya Sabha MP said leaders like him were responsible for promoting rowdiness among youth.
Nirupam's remarks sparked an uproar and the BJP today described the Congress MP’s
behaviour as the 'most unfortunate which cannot be described in words.'
“None of our spokesmen will sit with Nirupam on any TV debate,” announced Prasad, underlining that the party has taken the personal attack made by Nirupam as very seriously.
Prasad further demanded action by Congress president Sonia Gandhi against Nirupam.
“We would like Sonia Gandhi to take action against Sanjay Nirupam and apologise herself,” he said, adding otherwise the BJP would protest against the Congress chief.
Meanwhile, Nirupam on Twitter tried to defend himself by saying: “Smriti Irani things taken out of context people have to see the full debate and understand the context.”
First Published: Friday, December 21, 2012, 14:52