Maharashtra minister Girish Bapat is in trouble over a comment on watching video clips at night
A remark about "watching videos at night" has landed a Maharashtra minister in trouble and has been seized by his rivals.
The minister, Girish Bapat, a senior BJP leader, also faces a police complaint for his candour at a student's convention on Friday night.
Mr Bapat had said: "We also watch those video clips which you see on your mobiles at night. Don't think we have grown old. We are still young at heart." He was rewarded with wild cheering and laughter in the hall, but his party is far from amused.
The video clip of these remarks was widely shared on social media, and provoked political reactions.
Activists of the opposition Nationalist Congress Party protested outside the minister's home yesterday and party leader Vandana Chavan described the comments as "uncultured and irresponsible".
Mr Bapat was also criticized by his party's ally Shiv Sena.
"This is a tragedy of Pune which is regarded as the cultural capital. Bapat is an MLA from Pune and the city's guardian minister. His comment is improper and disappointing," said the Sena's Neelam Gorhe, urging the BJP to take action.
Bombarded by criticism, Mr Bapat tried to downplay his comment but admitted that it was ill-advised. "It was a comment made in a lighter vein. It had no obscene connotation. However, I could have avoided it," he said.
A law student, Yogesh Kamte, claims that he has filed a complaint against the minister for an "obscene" remark at a public place.
"I had myself gone to attend the convention along with women students in my class and I felt extremely embarrassed to hear the minister's comment," Mr Kamte told the Press Trust of India today.
The complaint has not been admitted by the police so far.