New Delhi:
Dr Farooq Abdullah, union minister, has said that he regrets any hurt caused by saying that "filling an empty stomach can cost Re 1 or Rs 100. It depends on what you buy."
The minister, whose National Conference is a member of the ruling coalition at the Centre, said, "My comments on the cost of a meal in the media have been taken out of context but I realise that what I said may be misconstrued. I regret any hurt this may have caused."
Mr Abdullah's clarification came hours after a similar statement from Congress spokesperson Raj Babbar, who had professed two days ago that Rs 12 buys a hearty meal in Mumbai. Today, Mr Babbar said that he regretted his statement.
"If my statement has pained someone then I regret it," Mr Babbar said. "I don't want my statement to harm my party in any way," he added.
The remarks by the politicians were made as the government was shredded by the opposition for releasing new data that shows poverty in India has reduced by 22 per cent in seven years, and that anyone who spends more than Rs 28 a day in rural areas and Rs 33 in urban areas is above the poverty line.
That math was shared by the Planning Commission this week; critics described the calculations as "deeply flawed."
The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP has accused the government of "playing a cruel joke on the country" by attempting to disguise the realities of raging inflation and steep food prices ahead of the national election.