March 11, 2026 12:35 am (IST)
Follow us:
Sonia's skin colour remark: BJP Chief warns Giriraj Singh
New Delhi, Apr 1 (IBNS): After Union Minister Giriraj Singh sparked a row with his 'racist' comment on Sonia Gandhi's skin colour, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah warned him against making such controversial statements, media reports said on Wednesday.
"Let's not attack any leader personally. This was a mistake made by Congress by attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi," CNN-IBN quoted Shah telling Singh.
Earlier in the day, Singh, whose 'racist' comment on Sonia Gandhi's skin colour went viral evoking scathing criticism, apologised for his "off-the-record-remark."
"People say all kinds of things off the record. But if Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were hurt by my remarks, then I apologise," he said.
Singh had said on Tuesday at Hajipur in Bihar that if Rajiv Gandhi had married a Nigerian lady and not a white-skinned woman, then Congress would not have accepted her leadership.
Reacting to his comment, the Congress said the minister's remarks were bordering on insanity.
"The comments reflect the lack of moral fibre in the BJP. It appears that the continuous quest to appease Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made him lose his balance," party spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said.
"He is a serial offender. The PM has a duty to publicly correct this situation. What is the PM's Mann ki Baat on this? His silence reflects connivance and encouragement," said CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat said.
"It is shocking. The PM can't be expected to comment on each and everything but I am sure this is a matter of concern for the party," said former IPS officer and BJP leader Kiran Bedi.
Even Nigerian Envoy to India OB Okongor condemned Singh's controversial remarks.
"I believe PM will do right thing on this. I am not going to lodge protest," he told media.
Singh, who in the past made several other controversial remarks, however, had said he was only chatting informally after a press conference.
A BJP MP from Bihar's Nawada constituency, Singh made it to the Narendra Modi's council of ministers in November. He is a former Bihar minister in the cabinet of Nitish Kumar. He was among the eleven BJP ministers who were dismissed by Nitish Kumar as a result of breaking of JDU-BJP alliance.
Before last year's Lok Sabha election, he had said that critics of Narendra Modi should be sent to Pakistan.
Support Our Journalism
We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism
IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.
Support objective journalism for a small contribution.
Latest Headlines
As Iran-US war disrupts global gas supply, India issues guidelines to manage shortages
Tue, Mar 10 2026
Mumbai dentistry student dies by suicide, note alleges mental harassment by boyfriend
Tue, Mar 10 2026
Kolkata: Mamata calls off dharna against SIR after five days, says ‘fight for justice’ will continue
Tue, Mar 10 2026
US: Dance video at WWII Memorial sparks outrage, Indian-origin man may face deportation
Tue, Mar 10 2026
'Most effective answer': Supreme Court says Uniform Civil Code key to ensuring equal rights for women
Tue, Mar 10 2026
Iran war disrupts LPG supplies, restaurants in major Indian cities edge towards shutdown
Tue, Mar 10 2026
‘How dare you question judicial officers?’: SC raps Bengal SIR pleas, orders appellate tribunals for voter list appeals
Tue, Mar 10 2026