By IANS,
New Delhi : There was no scope for action against Congress MP Abhijit Mukherjee as he had apologised for his comment that women protesting against the gang-rape in the national capital were “dented-painted”, the party said Friday.
“He has realised it himself and apologised. Where is the scope for action,” Congress spokesperson Rashid Alvi told reporters a day after the party MP and President Pranab Mukherjee’s son made his controversial remark.
External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid added that it was best to move on if someone had realised his mistake.
“Whatever the message, right or wrong should be given and the matter should be out to an end… it won’t be right to take forward what is wrong… we should say good things… if someone stumbles, we should try to show him the right path,” he said.
Congress MP from West Bengal Deepa Dasmunsi said leaders should speak on sensitive issues carefully.
“I spoke to him, he said I am apologising. Leaders have responsibility and commitment, they should be very careful when they are talking on serious issues,” she said.
The controversy had erupted Thursday after Mukherjee, the son of President Pranab Mukherjee and a Congress MP from Jangipur in West Bengal, was quoted as telling a TV channel on Christmas: “Those who claim to be students – I can see many beautiful women among them, they were highly dented-painted – they’re giving interviews on TV, they’ve brought their children to show them the scenes.”
He later issued an “unconditional apology”.
The comments led to outrage from various quarters, including from his sister Sharmishtha who expressed “utter shock and anguish” at the remarks.
Abhijit’s remark Thursday had dragged the nation’s first citizen into a controversy and invited angry reactions from his family, party members, women’s groups, social media and civil society.