Uttarakhand BJP president Mahendra Bhatt has apologised following criticism from the Congress and other organisations over alleged objectionable remarks about students amid demands for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over the NEET paper leak controversy.
In a post on social media on Sunday, Bhatt said, "If any word or the way I phrased my statement yesterday inadvertently hurt anyone's sentiments, I regret it and offer my apologies." He added that it had never been his intention to offend anyone.
The apology came after a video of Bhatt's remarks circulated online on Saturday. The Congress accused him of insulting thousands of young people and students who had been protesting against alleged irregularities in examinations and demanded an unconditional apology.
State Congress president Ganesh Godiyal said Bhatt's language reflected his frustration over calls for Pradhan's resignation. He also pointed out that former minister Premchand Aggarwal had previously been compelled to resign after using similar language.
"This reflects your attitude towards students and the people of Uttarakhand. You should apologise before the matter escalates further," Godiyal said, warning that students and youth organisations would stage a sit-in outside Bhatt's residence if he failed to apologise.
In a video released on Sunday, Bhatt accused the opposition of misrepresenting his remarks and maintained that he had not used the language attributed to him.
State BJP media in-charge Manveer Singh Chauhan defended Bhatt, claiming his comments had been taken out of context.
The controversy comes in the wake of an alleged question paper leak at Uttarakhand Technical University (UTU). The Congress has repeatedly criticised the Pushkar Singh Dhami-led government over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.
The state government, however, has maintained that it follows a zero-tolerance policy on paper leaks, has enacted a stringent anti-cheating law and has jailed several accused in connection with such cases.
(With inputs from PTI)