May 05, 2026 07:23 am (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
Jolt to TMC! Supreme Court rejects plea challenging central staff deployment at Bengal counting centres | Bangladesh MP warns of refugee crisis if BJP wins West Bengal polls | Diplomatic row: Bangladesh summons Indian envoy over Himanta Biswa Sarma remarks | Supreme Court grants Pawan Khera anticipatory bail in case over allegations against Himanta Biswa Sarma's wife | ‘Not necessary to humiliate me with arrest’: Pawan Khera to SC over remarks on Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife | ‘Let’s not choose for people capable of choosing’: Supreme Court to Centre on teen pregnancy termination | I-PAC co-founder Vinesh Chandel gets bail after Bengal polls conclude | Exit Polls Give Bengal to BJP—But One Survey Begs to Differ | Big defence push: Rajnath Singh to hold high-stakes talks with Italy’s Defence Minister | “Voting without fear”: PM Modi hails record turnout in West Bengal polls

Oppn demands apology from Smriti Irani for Durga comment

| | Feb 26, 2016, at 05:36 pm
New Delhi, Feb 26 (IBNS) Amid opposition demand for apology for her remarks on Goddess Durga while replying on the JNU controversy, HRD Minister Smriti Irani Friday said she is a "practising Hindu and Goddesh Durga worshipper" and had to utter the words with "a lot of pain."
"I read it because I was asked to explain what is the truth. I said it with a lot of pain. I myself am a practising Hindu, I myself am a Durga worshipper. These are authenticated documents from the university itself," Irani said in Parliament referring to observance of Mahishasur Martyrdom Day on the JNU campus.
 
The Rajya Sabha chairman said if any objectionable references have been made in the speech of Irani it would be expunged even as Opposition clamoured for her apology. 
 
In Parliament Irani said earlier: "Posted on October 4, 2014. A statement by the SC, ST and minority students of JNU. And what do they condemn? May my God forgive me for reading this. 
 
"Durga Puja is the most controversial racial festival, where a fair-skinned beautiful goddess Durga is depicted brutally killing a dark-skinned native called Mahishasur. Mahishasur, a brave self-respecting leader, tricked into marriage by Aryans. They hired a sex worker called Durga, who enticed Mahishasur into marriage and killed him after nine nights of honeymooning during sleep."
#Smriti Irani # goddess Durga # Mahisasur Martyrdom Day # JNU row

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.
Related Images
In Images: PM Modi in traditional dhoti look at BJP HQ as party celebrates sweeping electoral victory
In Images: PM Modi in traditional dhoti look at BJP HQ as party celebrates sweeping electoral victory May 05, 2026, at 12:10 am
In Images: Suvendu Adhikari stuns Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur, snatches TMC stronghold
In Images: Suvendu Adhikari stuns Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur, snatches TMC stronghold May 04, 2026, at 11:03 pm
In images: In images: Kolkata erupts in saffron celebration as BJP storms to landslide Bengal victory
In images: In images: Kolkata erupts in saffron celebration as BJP storms to landslide Bengal victory May 04, 2026, at 08:10 pm
Related Videos
Nabanna gheraoed after BJP’s landslide victory in Bengal May 04, 2026, at 05:16 pm
BJP celebrates Bengal victory in Kolkata May 04, 2026, at 05:15 pm
BJP celebrates historic win in Bengal election May 04, 2026, at 05:13 pm