Guna (Madhya Pradesh) [India], May 4 : Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Jagdish Devda on Friday hit out at Madhya Pradesh Congress Committe Chief Jitu Patwari for his offensive comments against former minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Imarti Devi.
Dewda said that it is because of such statements that Congress is in the condition it is right now.
"If somebody makes such statements, it's naturally that party will be offended, such things should not be done. Now people will make a decision on this. Because of the kind of situation Congress is in right now, they're distracted and making such statements," Dewda said.
Patwari made the objectionable remarks against Imarti Devi during a public rally in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior on Thursday which stirred a controversy between the BJP and the Congress.
BJP leader Imarti Devi also registered a complaint, in writing against Congress leader Jitu Patwari for his objectionable comments against her.
The Congress leader has been booked under Section 509, and Section 3 of the Atrocities Act, Madhya Pradesh Police informed.
BJP leader Jyotiraditya Sindia took potshots at the Madhya Pradesh Congress Chief for his objectionable remarks against the BJP leader and said that such a "shoddy" statement by the Congress chief shows his and Congress' mentality towards women.
"In the coming days, the women of the state will give an answer to Congress on this," Scindia said.
Imarti Devi is a former Congress leader and a loyalist to Scindia, who had switched sides to the BJP along with him during a political upheaval in the year 2020. She was a minister in the state, but after joining the BJP, she contested in a by-election and lost.
Amid the ongoing debate on the Congress leader's comments on the BJP leader Imarti Devi, BJP Madhya Pradesh MLA Riti Pathak asked Congress' Priyanka Gandhi about her views on the words used by the Congress leader for a woman.
Riti Pathak told ANI, "Although, I have been hearing such statements from the Congress side. But I want to ask Priyanka Gandhi through this statement. Yesterday, she came to Morena and talked big about women's empowerment. What kind of attitude did Jeetu Patwari have for a woman? What would you like to say about the words that have been used?"
Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president, Jitu Patwari, apologized on Friday for his controversial remark against former minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Imarti Devi.
Patwari also clarified that his intention was not to hurt anyone's feelings and that his statement was being twisted and presented out of context.
"Yesterday, I was questioned about an audio clip there. At that moment, my intention was only to avoid that question. The remark I made in that context is being twisted and presented out of context. Imarti Devi ji is my elder sister, and an elder sister is just like a mother. So, I will only say that my context was only to avoid the question, apart from that, I had no other intention. Still, if anyone's feelings have been hurt in any way, I express regret and apologize," Patwari told ANI.