Janardhan Dwivedi addresses media personnel in Delhi.
Within an hour of his upset party condemning him and indicating disciplinary action, senior Congress leader Janardhan Dwivedi today denied making any comment that can be construed as praise of Prime Minster Narendra Modi.
"Who has said Modi is a symbol of Indianness? Those are not my words," Mr Dwivedi said soon after Congress spokesperson Ajay Maken "condemned in the strongest words" his purported comment
in an interview to news website rediff.com that Mr Modi's victory in the general elections last year was "a victory of Indianness."
Mr Maken quoted former Prime Minster Indira Gandhi to explain what the Congress believes is the meaning of "Indianness" and asserted that PM Modi "cannot be seen as a symbol of that."
Last evening Mr Dwivedi, also a party spokesperson and a Rajya Sabha member, was reportedly ordered by the party to issue a clarification after news website rediff.com published an interview with him. The website has also cited Mr Dwivedi as saying that the election of Mr Modi is the start of a "new era."
Mr Dwivedi clarified the "new era" remark then, but had not attempted to defend or deny the one on "Indian-ness," causing deep embarrassment to his party just before crucial elections in Delhi next month.
The Congress is struggling to regroup in Delhi after a disastrous performance in the last assembly elections and party leaders reportedly fear that such praise for Mr Modi will further demoralise its cadres.
Mr Dwivedi is part of important decision making panels of the Congress and is seen as close to the Gandhi family that heads the party. He has served before as chief party spokesperson, and in that role often warned other party leaders to speak with caution. But several other recent comments that he has made have been at odds with the party line.
Mr Dwivedi has claimed that he was quoted out of context by rediff.com and has described the controversy as a "useless debate."
Rediff's reporter Sheela Bhatt has said she stands by her story.