Ramdev apologises for his 'honeymoon' comment

Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev on Saturday clarified his comment that Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi went to the houses of Dalits for a 'honeymoon and for picnics'.

"If any section of the society feels hurt from the use of this word (honeymoon), I duly apologise for it," said Ramdev.

"The word 'honeymoon' was taken in a wrong context by the people. It was wrongly presented. It was never my intention to insult Rahul Gandhi or the Dalits. It is true that Rahul Gandhi visits the houses of dalits for a photo opportunity. It is purely a publicity stunt and he uses it as a picnic or tourism. This is what I wanted to say," Ramdev added.

Earlier, a first information report (FIR) was filed against Ramdev in connection to his comment on Rahul Gandhi.

"He goes to Dalits houses for a honeymoon and for picnics. Had he married a Dalit girl, then his luck could have clicked and he would have become the Prime Minister," Baba Ramdev had said at a programme on Friday.

He said unlike Rahul, Narendra Modi and Ramdev had not become "fakirs" (single) under compulsion.

"Us bechare ki bhi kismat kharab hai (Rahul is unlucky)", Ramdev said.

"His (Rahul's) mother says that if you marry a foreign girl, then you cannot become the Prime Minister and this boy does not want to marry an Indian girl. His mother wants that first he becomes PM, and then, marries a foreigner", he added.

Baba Ramdev later said he was willing to withdraw the comments if they have hurt Dalit sentiments.

He also rejected allegations by the Congress that his yoga camps are being used for political gain. He said that he had as much of a right as anyone else to air his views.