It was slip of tongue, I apologise: R’than minister after remarks on women draw wide criticism

PTI, Mar 10, 2022, 12:54 PM IST

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Amid an uproar by the Opposition MLAs over his remarks in the House, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shanti Dhariwal on Thursday tendered an apology saying it was “a slip of tongue”.

The BJP, however, shouted slogans against him and demanded his resignation. “It was a slip of tongue. I feel sorry for that. I wanted to say something for the desert state. I personally respect women and will continue to do so. If my comments have hurt anyone, I apologise,” Dhariwal said.

On Wednesday, he had made certain comments in his reply to the demand for grants to the police department, which Leader of the Opposition Gulab Chand Kataria said were “an insult to women, public and brave men”. They were later expunged.

Though Speaker CP Joshi asked Kataria not to raise the matter during the Question Hour, the Opposition continued its uproar and demanded Dhariwal’s resignation. The Speaker said Dhariwal had visited his chamber and had confessed that his comment was unintentional.