Don't address nation out of turn: Modi warns BJP leaders after Sadhvi's expletive

An angry Prime Minister Narendra Modi today gave a stern warning to BJP leaders in a meeting with them at a BJP Parliamentary Board meeting held this morning following Union Minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti’s controversial remark. [caption id=“attachment_1830753” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] PM Narendra Modi warned BJP leaders against speaking out of turn. Reuters[/caption] Modi asked the BJP leaders “not to address the nation out of turn”, according to this NDTV report. “I will not compromise on this,” he said. Union Minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti stoked a controversy by allegedly making an inflammatory speech and using an expletive in an election rally in New Delhi, drawing severe flak from opposition which accused BJP of pursuing divisive politics and demanded that she be sacked. At a brief press conference held this afternoon, Jyoti said she had “already apologised for her remarks in Parliament and was not going to say anything else on the matter”. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu, too, stood by his party MP, saying she had already expressed regret and apologised for the issue. “… the matter ends there, there is a precedent in the House. This has become a habit of the Congress party, we are not here to accept their demands,” he said. The remarks left the Narendra Modi government embarrassed as it faced the Opposition’s ire in Parliament following which Jyoti expressed “deep regret” over her actions and said she did not intend to hurt anyone’s feelings. The issue rocked both the Houses as agitated opposition MPs protested the remarks and demanded an apology from Jyoti, who is Minister of state for food processing industries and had joined the Narendra Modi Ministry early last month. “The Prime Minister should give an explanation,” Congress leader Anand Sharma said. BSP chief Mayawati said the minister’s remarks were against the secular ethos espoused by the Constitution and do not behold a person occupying a constitutional post. The BJP should sack her, she said. She and CPI(M) MP Sitaram Yechury demanded that an FIR be filed against Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti. The Congress alleged that Jyoti had insulted the people of Delhi and she should issue an apology while the Aam Aadmi Party said it was the BJP’s real face. “The divisive thinking and divisive politics of the BJP has been exposed,” Congress leader Ambika Soni said. Niranjan was initially defiant saying she was only referring to the “anti-nationals” in her speech on Monday. “I was referring to the anti-nationals, those who compromise with its borders, its integrity. What else do you call people who loot the nation…? What should we call them? Why is it being objected to,” she said when questioned on the use of expletives. Manish Sisodia of Aam Aadmi Party said, “This is the real character of BJP. Their language shows what kind of work they are doing at the Centre and what kind of work they will do for Delhi.” Delhi Congress leader Mukesh Sharma said, “There can be nothing worse than what she said. She must apologise to the people of Delhi.” With PTI inputs