Patna: Bihar Education Minister Ashok Choudhary on Wednesday firmly stood his ground on the issue of addressing Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani as "dear" and cited several references, including that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi using the word to address singer Asha Bhosle.
Mr Choudhary also posted on his Twitter account, a letter written by Union Minister for Labour Bandaru Dattatreya to Ms Irani using "dear", and accused her of "double standards" on this count.
"You accept 'dear' of others but have objection about me using the same," Mr Choudhary said while referring to his Twitter spat with Ms Irani.
The Bihar minister retweeted US President Barack Obama's tweet in the past where he had said the word "dear" is gender neutral, and advised Ms Irani to refer to the 'Wren and Martin' grammar book.
Mr Choudhary, who is also Bihar Congress President, referred to a past tweet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi - "Dear@Ashabhosle Tai, pained on the unfortunate demise of your son. My thoughts are with you during this hour of grief."
Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav sided with Mr Choudhary and gave a casteist angle to the controversy by saying "Can't a Dalit use 'dear'?"
The Congress workers also joined the "dear" war today and addressed their minister as "Dear Ashok Choudhary jee" when he visited the party head quarters Sadaquat Ashram in Patna.
Ashok Choudhary and Smriti Irani were on Tuesday locked in a bitter war of words on Twitter after the Congress leader addressed her as "dear".
Issues of etiquette in official communication also cropped up during the barrage of tweets unleashed against each other.
Mr Choudhary in a tweet had referred to the HRD minister as "Dear" Smriti Irani ji and said that rather than focus on politics and speeches, she should pay attention to the New Education Policy (NEP).
Ms Irani shot back, asking Mr Choudhary since when he began addressing women as "dear". "Mahilaon ko 'dear' keh ke kab se sambodhit karne lage Ashokji?"
