NEW DELHI: Union minister Piyush Goyal has withdrawn his remark to RJD leader Manoj Jha that his party would 1 day turn the entire “country into Bihar” if they have their way, saying he had no interest in insulting the state or its people.

Jha, who had on Wednesday sent a letter to Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar regarding the minister's "demeaning" statement, demanded an apology from the BJP politician at the beginning of Rajya Sabha proceedings on Thursday.

Goyal, the Leader of the House and Minister of Commerce and Industry, declared that he would instantly retract the statement if it had offended anyone.

At the outset, let me say  that there is absolutely no effort to disparage Bihar or the Bihari people. And I will right away retract that statement if it has in any way hurt somebody. He said that there was no ill will toward anyone in the creation of it.

On Tuesday, Goyal made the statement as Jha was discussing the Appropriations Bill, which asked Parliament to approve more spending.

Goyal said, "inka bas chale to desh ko Bihar bana dein (if they have their way, they would transform the country into Bihar)," as he argued the government should give the poor and corporate entities equal attention. Affirming that an insult to Bihar is an affront to the entire nation on Thursday, Jha requested that Goyal retract his statement.

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