Bihar BJP chief Nityanand Rai apologises for saying 'chop off any finger raised at PM Modi' [VIDEO]

Bihar BJP chief Nityanand Rai who courted a controversy on Monday after he said that any hand or finger raised against Prime Minister Narendra Modi should be broken and chopped off, said on Tuesday that he felt "sorry" for what he said and added that his words were "misinterpreted."

Rai's comments condemned

The Ujiarpur MP, attending a party meeting organised by the Banshi Chacha Samajik Vikas Parishad in Patna said, " PM Narendra Modi par agar koi aankh uthata hai to uska haath tod do, aur jaroorat pade to haath kaat lo."

Loose Translation: "If anyone raises eyebrows at PM Narendra Modi, break his hands and, if need be, even chop them."

However, the comment did not go down well with many.

"Kaise kaise gande log rajniti mein ghuse huye hain, bahut gandi baat hai, swabhimaan ki baat karte hain, swabhimaan hai inn logon ke pass," Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav said.

Loose translation: "What kind of dirty people have entered politics? They talk of pride but don't have any pride in themselves."

Another RJD leader Shivanand Tiwari said that Rai was apparently trying to impress Modi with his words.

"In BJP the leaders are competing with each other to appease PM Modi by making such atrocious comments," Tiwari was quoted as saying by The Hindu.

Rai says he was misinterpreted

Rai has now claimed that he was misinterpreted.

"I was misinterpreted as what I had said was a proverb in Hindi," stated Rai.

"Haanth katna, unglai todna hindi ke muhavre hain jiska matlab virodhiyon ko darana hota hai," he explained.

Loose translation: "Chopping-off hands, breaking fingers are proverbs in Hindi which are used to intimidate your opponents."

Rai even apologised for the same.

"But, if it had hurt anyone, I feel sorry for it," Rai added.

Watch what Rai said at the party meeting on Monday: