Zee Media Bureau/Ritesh K Srivastava
New Delhi: After taking a swipe at BJP`s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi`s humble beginnings as a tea vendor, Samajwadi Party leader Naresh Agarwal has now regretted making such remark as it had hurt the poor.
"If my statement has offended any poor person then I regret making such remark," Agarwal said.
The clarification from the SP leader came a day after he openly made an objectionable reference to the Gujarat Chief Minister`s humble beginnings and said a tea seller can`t become country`s Prime Minister.
"Narendra Modi wants to become a PM. Someone rising from a tea shop can never have a national perspective. Like, if you make a `sipahi` (constable) as `kaptan` (Superintendent of Police) he can never have SP`s approach but will have that of a constable," the SP leader had said.
Agarwal made this controversial remark while addressing a gathering in Hardoi, during which he maintained that the Prime Minister of a country has to be an able person of national stature.
Agarwal`s remark is also indicative of growing unease among non-BJP leaders about the rising influence of BJP`s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.
"As far as crowd is concerned, a `madari` (street performer) also gathers it," he commented while taking a dig at Modi.
Agarwal, who made a scathing attack on Modi, has also previously targeted the BJP leader with some controversial comments.
The SP leader had triggered a controversy last month when he compared BJP to a `widow` and said that Modi`s thoughts were like a CM and not a PM.
"There is a saying in my village that if you ask a widow`s blessings, she will ask you to become like her. The BJP too is asking everyone to become like them. Modi`s thoughts are limited as he is a CM of small state," Agarwal had said.
The main opposition party, BJP, has criticised Agarwal for his controversial remarks, which it said were in bad taste and highly derogatory. Attacking Modi, Agarwal said that the Gujarat CM used to compare prices of potato and progress of his state but I want to ask him about his stand on China, Pakistan and terrorism after becoming Prime Minister.
