Neech row: Am ready to accept any punishment Congress party gives me, says Mani Shankar Aiyar

Senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar, who was in the eye of the storm for making derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has addressed his suspension.

Speaking to news agency ANI, Aiyar said, "If any damage has been done to Congress because of what I said or did then I am saddened by it. I had no such intention. I am ready to accept any punishment that the Congress party wants to give me."

If any damage has been done to Congress because of what I said or did then I am saddened by it. I had no such intention. I am ready to accept any punishment that the Congress party wants to give me: #ManiShankarAiyar on his 'Neech' comment pic.twitter.com/b9CTEOpxlc

— ANI (@ANI) December 8, 2017

Aiyar on Thursday called Modi a "neech aadmi" (a vile man), who did "dirty politics", kicking up a row on the last day of campaigning for the first phase of the Gujarat Assembly polls.

"He (Modi) is 'neech kism ka aadmi' (a vile man) who has no 'sabhyata' (civility)," Aiyar said, attacking Modi after the latter accused the Congress of seeking votes in B R Ambedkar's name but trying to erase his contribution to nation building.

The Congress today suspended its senior leader Mani Shankar Aiyar from the primary membership of the party and issued him a show cause notice, after he called Prime Minister Narendra Modi a "neech aadmi" (vile man).

The disciplinary action against the Gandhi family loyalist came barely two days before the first phase of Assembly poll in Gujarat.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley called it a ‘deliberate casteist statement’, ‘a convenient apology’ and ‘a strategic suspension’. He wrote on Twitter: “Mani Shankar Aiyer’s ‘Neech’ -attack on Prime Minister- a deliberate casteist statement, a convenient apology, a strategic suspension. People should see through this game.”