Puducherry: Union Minister of State in PMO
V Narayanasamy was in the eye of a storm today over his
reported remark that the Congress government in Puducherry had
provided everything except babies, with senior BJP leader
Sushma Swaraj demanding action against him.
Narayanaswamy, also the Parliamentary Affairs Minister,
expressed regret over the reported remark, saying, "It was
made in a lighter vein".
"The Congress government has given everything except
babies", Narayanaswamy was reported to have told a public
meeting at Lawspet here during his campaign for the April 13
Assembly polls for the Union Territory of Puducherry.
"I did not want to hurt anybody, particularly women. I
tender my regrets", Narayanaswamy said, adding he only meant
the Congress government had given "everything for all sections
and has evolved schemes for babies also".
Narayanaswamy's reported remarks evoked sharp reaction
from Swaraj, who called it "most insulting" comments against
women and asked the Prime Minister Manmohan Singha and
Congress President Sonia Gandhi to take action against him.
"This is a highly insulting and condemnable comment the
Central Minister has made against women", Swaraj told
reporters here describing the remark as "shocking".
"This was not not a comment made in lighter vein at all
but is a character assassination on womanhood", the BJP
leader said, adding she as a woman was ashamed of hearing
the remark.
PTI
First Published: Monday, April 11, 2011, 00:29