BJP President Nitin Gadkari on Friday ruled out an apology for his controversial remark that Afzal Guru was like a "son-in-law" for Congress leaders after he targeted the ruling party for the delay in the hanging of the Parliament attack death row convict.
The remark also unleashed a war of words between the ruling and opposition party with Congress reacting with disdain to Gadkari's taunt and scoffing at him, saying he has lost his mind and that he should be referred to a "psychiatric facility".
The BJP on its part defended Gadkari and said the remark should be seen as a "constructive criticism" of Government's stand and tried to turn the tables on Congress for using "uncivilised" language against its leader and sought an apology.
When asked by reporters in Dehra Dun whether he would apologise for his remarks, Gadkari said he stuck to his stand. "I have said nothing wrong. I stick to my stand and so there is no need (to apologise)," Gadkari said.
At a BJP rally in Dehradun on Thursday night, Gadkari thundered, "I want to ask Congress leaders if Afzal Guru is their son-in-law? Have you(Congress) given your daughter to him(Afzal). Why is he being given special treatment?"
He alleged that the government was sitting on the file relating to execution of Guru for the last four years. "Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit had stated it was done on the instructions from then Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil. Now the decision is pending with the President, he said," he said.
"I have not made a wrong statement. They (Congress) should rather give the reply as to why they are not executing the orders of the Supreme Court," he said.
Gadkari made a reference to the Afzal Guru issue while slamming the Congress and the UPA for the delay in the hanging of the death row convict, bringing the focus back on the Afzal case file.
Congress said Gadkari has lost his mind and sarcastically said he needed serious help. " Obscenity, obnoxiousness and obtuseness should never be dignified by a response" Congress spokesman Manish Tiwari said in New Delhi.
Tiwari further said, "it is very obvious that the esteemed president of the BJP has lost it completely. The BJP should take pity on him and deposit him into a psychiatric facility. The man needs serious help."
Targeting Congress, Gadkari had said, "It (Congress) is a party full of fearful people. They can never fight with terrorists and can never get rid of terrorism. It is a party which will bow down in front of terrorists and can never protect India." Congress spokesman Shakeel Ahmed said Gadkari's remarks was a very disgraceful statement.
BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad defended Gadkari saying it was a "constructive criticism" of the Government's stand in the wake of the delay in the hanging of Afzal Guru and that he was only articualting the pain and agony of the kith and kin of the Parliament attack victims.
Janata Dal(United) chief Sharad Yadav said a leader of Gdkari's stature should exercise caution in his choice of words.
Congress on Friday said there should be a political and social boycott of the BJP chief who should be put into a "psychiatric facility".
"This is condemnable. This is uncharitable and cheap. We condemn it in strongest possible words," party spokesman Shakeel Ahmed told reporters here, adding the statement once again proved that Gadkari is not mature enough to be the president of a national party. Another Congress spokesman Manish Tiwari said, "The remark smacks of obscenity, obnoxiousness and obtuseness.
"It is very obvious that the esteemed president of the BJP has lost it completely. The BJP should take pity on him and put him into a psychiatric facility. The man needs serious help," he said. Ahmed said, "There should be a political and social boycott of such people (Gadkari). We demand an apology from those who have issued such a nasty statement."
He said it was time for parties like BJP to introspect whether such people should be made the party president. Ahmed said that the party should not be held responsible if something "untoward happens" and the Congress workers react to such statements. PTI
