Abhijit remarks: Cong suggests 'forgive, forget' approach

NEW DELHI: Congress leaders today suggested a 'forgive and forget' approach towards President Pranab Mukherjee's son Abhijit who has apologised after making controversial remarks on women protesters in Delhi against the gangrape incident.

"We should talk about good things and if someone realises his mistake, he should be supported and shown the right direction," senior party leader and External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said here when asked his reaction over the row.

Talking separately, party spokesman Rashid Alvi spoke in similar vein when asked whether there should be disciplinary action against Abhijit Mukherjee following the controversy. "He has realised his mistake and on his own, he has expressed regret," Alvi told reporters here.

Abhijit had yesterday landed in a controversy over his description of women protesters in Delhi against the gangrape incident as 'highly dented and painted', which sparked a massive outrage with his remarks being dubbed as "sexist".

"Those who are coming in the name of students in the rallies, sundori, sundori mahila (beautiful women), highly dented and painted," Abhijit, Congress MP from Jangipur seat which the President had vacated before his election, had told a vernacular news channel.

As he came under attack for his "insensitive" remarks, Abhijit tendered an "unconditional apology" and offered to resign his Lok Sabha seat, if asked to do so by the party and the people. There were demands from women activists for his resignation.

He withdrew his comments and said they were not meant to hurt "any particular section or any particular sentiment".