MP Congress chief Jitu Patwari apologizes for controversial remarks against former minister Imarti Devi

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], May 3 (ANI): 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.
He further explained that he neither harboured any negativity nor had any intention to make fun of her, and his context was misunderstood. "There was no negativity of any kind in my mind, nor was my intention to make fun. The only intention was to avoid the question. I apologize, and my context was misunderstood," the Congress leader added.
Patwari made the objectionable remarks against Imarti Devi during a public rally in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior on Thursday.
Imarti Devi is a former Congress leader and a loyalist of Union Civil Aviation Minister, Jyotiraditya Scindia, who switched sides to the saffron camp during a political upheaval in 2020. She was a minister in the state, but after joining the BJP, she contested in a bye-election and lost.
Earlier, former chief minister Kamal Nath also sparked controversy after he allegedly referred to BJP leader Imarti Devi as an "item".
"Suresh Raje ji hamare ummeedvar hai...yeh uske jaise nah hai...kya hai uska naam ... main kya uska naam lun? ...apko toh mujhe pehle savdhan karna chahiye tha ...yeh kya item hai... (Our candidate is not like her... what's her name? You should have warned me earlier... What an item!)," Kamal Nath had said in Hindi, while the crowd called out Imarti Devi's name.
The incident took place back in 2020 during campaigning for the assembly by-elections in the state. (ANI)