Year in news: From Azam Khan to Rahul Gandhi - top controversial statements by political leaders in 2016

Year in news: From Azam Khan to Rahul Gandhi - top controversial statements by political leaders in 2016

From Azam Khan, a minister in the Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pardesh, to Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, several leaders from different parties grabbed headlines for making controversial political statements in 2016.

In order to gain political mileage, the political leaders couldn't refrain from making statements even on sensitive and critical issues. Here is a list of politicians who remained in news in 2016 by making controversial statements and drew flack:

Year in news: From Azam Khan to Rahul Gandhi - top controversial statements by political leaders in 2016

1. Rahul Gandhi on the surgical strike

"You are hiding behind the blood of the soldiers ... aap khoon ki dalali kar rahe ho ... they [the soldiers] have done their job, you do yours."

Year in news: From Azam Khan to Rahul Gandhi - top controversial statements by political leaders in 2016

2. Omar Abdullah on Nagrota attack

"The Nagrota attack is a result of statements made by various ministers against Pakistan."

Year in news: From Azam Khan to Rahul Gandhi - top controversial statements by political leaders in 2016

3. Maneka Gandhi on not granting paternity leave

"Men in India do not utilise their existing leaves in order to take care of their child. If men gave me one iota of hope by taking sick leave for child care, then yes, we can think of mooting a proposal for paternity leave."

Year in news: From Azam Khan to Rahul Gandhi - top controversial statements by political leaders in 2016

4. Subramanian Swamy on Arun Jaitley

"BJP should direct our Ministers to wear traditional and modernised Indian clothes while abroad. In coat and tie, they look like waiters."

Year in news: From Azam Khan to Rahul Gandhi - top controversial statements by political leaders in 2016

5. Azam Khan on the Bulandshahr gang rape

"It must be investigated whether people, with the opposite ideology or those who want to come to power, are behind this incident in order to malign the government."