In a bid to put a lid to controversy over his comments made towards HRD Minister Smriti Irani, JD(U) president Sharad Yadav on Wednesday expressed regret over the way things have gone. Yadav’s Rsregret’ comes two days after he told Irani “Who are you” and “I know what you are” during a heated up situation in the House on Monday when Irani urged Yadav not to discuss about complexion and body built of women.
“What has appeared in the papers was not my intention to say,” Yadav said after Finance Minister Arun Jaitely urged him to clarify what he meant by these words. Jaitely while raising the matter said an “improper impression” had been created in the media on Yadav’s remarks while urging him to clarify his remarks and put the controversy to rest. Jaitley said media has reported quoting him as telling the HRD Minister “I know what kind of person you are” and that has sent a wrong impression across the country.
Yadav said he holds two women Ministers in the BJP-led Government — Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Smriti Irani — in high esteem. “I consider Sitharaman as the best Minister and competent,” he said while adding that he was among the first people to defend Irani when the controversy over her degree erupted last year. “I defended her saying I was myself an engineer of Political Science but had never studied it,” Yadav said.
However, leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad launched a scathing attack on Irani for getting into conflict with academicians and heads institutes of excellence like IIT. Taking on the minister after Dr Anil Kakodkar resigned from IIT-Mumbai’s board of governors on an appointment related issue Azad said, “This is not the first time. last December IIT-Delhi Director too had quit over differences with the Government. While Prime Minister on one side talks about promoting IITs, there is interference by the Government on the other side. If this continues the centres of excellence will choke.” A large number of MPs associated with the issue raised by Azad.