Shatrughan Sinha calls remark on Muhammad Ali Jinnah 'slip of tongue', claims he meant to say Maulana Azad

Shatrughan Sinha, who recently left BJP and joined Congress, on Saturday clarified his comment on Muhammad Ali Jinnah and said that it had been a “slip of tongue” when he intended to speak about Maulana Azad. On Friday, Sinha, in a rally in Madhya Pradesh, had lauded Muhammad Ali Jinnah along with Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru, saying they all had a role to play for India’s Independence. “The Congress family from Mahatma Gandhi to Sardar Patel to Muhammad Ali Jinnah to Jawaharlal Nehru… It is their party. They had the most important role in the development and freedom of the country. This is the reason why I have come here (in Congress),” Sinha said while addressing a rally. On Saturday, Sinha said, “Whatever I said yesterday was slip of tongue. I wanted to say Maulana Azad but uttered Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

#WATCH Shatrughan Sinha, Congress candidate from Bihar's Patna Sahib on his statement,"from Mahatma Gandhi to Muhammad Ali Jinnah, all part of Congress Parivar": Whatever I said yesterday was slip of tongue. I wanted to say Maulana Azad but uttered Muhammad Ali Jinnah. pic.twitter.com/N2s63aOufj

— ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2019

Sinha was in Madhya Pradesh to campaign for the state Chief Minister Kamal Nath’s son Nakul Nath, who is contesting from the Chhindwara parliamentary constituency against BJP’s Nathan Shah. Both Kamal Nath and his son were present at the event. “Now that I have joined the Congress party for the first and the last time, now I won’t leave it,” he added. At the same rally, Sinha also said that the people of the country are curious about Nyuntam Aay Yojana (NYAY) while expressing hope that the scheme will be implemented if his party is voted to power in the ongoing general elections. “The Congress government has waived the loan of farmers in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh. People are curious about NYAY scheme now,” he said. Sinha, who left the BJP after being denied a ticket to contest the Lok Sabha election from Patna Sahib constituency in Bihar, said, “It is fine when they (BJP) do something. If our leaders come up with some ideas, they are not able to digest these.” Under the NYAY scheme, the Congress party has promised to give Rs 72,000 annually to the poorest among the poor.