Shatrughan Sinha issues clarification for praising Muhammad Ali Jinnah, apologises

A day after creating controversy by lauding Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Congress candidate from Patna Sahib Lok Sabha seat - Shatrughan Sinha – has now come up with the clarification. He apologised for praising Jinnah along with Mahatma Gandhi and others, claiming that it was due to the 'slip of the tongue'.

Making clarifications on the speech, the actor-turned-politician said, "whatever I said yesterday was slip of tongue. I wanted to say Maulana Azad but uttered Muhammad Ali Jinnah."

Earlier on Friday, while addressing a public rally at Sausar in Madhya Pradesh’s Chindwara, Sinha had stated that Congress has played a crucial role in the development and independence of the country. Taking the names of prominent leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Subhash Chandra Bose and others, Sinha explained why he joined Congress.

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He had said, "Ye Congress Pariwaar Mahatma Gandhi se leke, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel se leke, Mohammad Ali Jinnah se leke, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru se leke, Indira Gandhi se leke, Rajiv Gandhi se leke, Rahul Gandhi se leke ...Subhash Chandra Bose..inki party hai, jinka desh ke vikash me, jinaka desh ki tarriqui me, desh ki azaadi me sabse mahatwapurna or sabse bada yogdaan hua. Isliye hum aaye yahan pe. Ek baar aa gaya hun Congress party me to mudkar kabhi jaane nai aaya hun. (This Congress family belongs to Mahatma Gandhi, Vallabh Bhai Patel, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Subhash Chandra Bose. They all have had a role to play in nation’s independence and development. That is why I joined Congress party)."

It is to be noted that Shatrughan Sinha recently joined Congress after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) denied him to field from Patna Sahib Constituency. However, the veteran actor is competing on Congress ticket from Patna Sahib. On the other hand, Shatrughan Sinha’s wife Poonam Sinha joined Samajwadi Party. She is up against Home Minister Rajnath Singh from Lucknow parliamentary constituency.

The Lok Sabha Elections 2019 are being held in seven phases, starting from April 11. The first, second and third phase has been concluded. The fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh phase of polls will undergo on April 29, May 6, May 12 and May 19 respectively. The results will be declared on May 23.