Manohar Lal Khattar, the Haryana Chief Minister has refuted The Indian Express story quoting him as saying that “Muslims can live in this country but they will have to give up eating beef.”
In the front-page story, Khattar was also quoted as saying, “culturally, we are democratic. Democracy has freedoms, but those freedoms have a limitation. Freedom of one person is only to the extent that it is not hurting another person.”
However, at a press conference today he said:
My words and my behaviour is wrongly interpreted. I have not used any objectionable word. We have also been respecting each other’s sentiments... Even if a word slipped out of my mouth, it was not my deliberate intention to hurt anyone.
— Manohar Lal Khattar, Haryana Chief Minister
Bhupeshwar Dayal, the OSD to Khattar told The Quint that the government will send a rejoinder to the newspaper for ‘misquoting’ the CM.
In response to Haryana CM Khattar’s statement refuting their report, The Indian Express has uploaded an audio clip of the interview on YouTube.
Subhash Kashyap, a parliament and constitutional expert told The Quint:
It’s most unfortunate. Such a statement made by a person who holds a responsible position cannot be subscribed to by the government.
— Subhash Kashyap to The Quint
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