Shillong (The Hawk): In order to take legal action against Trinamool Congress leader Kirti Azad for making fun of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi who recently wore the enchanting Khasi traditional dress, a Meghalaya organisation filed a FIR at the Sadar police station here on Tuesday.
Azad, a part of the 1983 World Cup-winning Indian squad, posted an apology for the statements on his Twitter account on December 23.
He said in a string of tweets: "My most recent tweet was misinterpreted. It offended people's feelings. They have my apology. have a great deal of respect for and pride in our various cultures. I apologise for the hurt my careless comment has caused. I reaffirm my commitment to constantly endeavour to uphold our constitutional ideals. As a party member, I have consistently adhered to the path set forth by our Constitution, which encourages recognising and valuing our diversity. Anything that seems to deviate from the course unintentionally is regrettable ".
Donbok Dkhar, the president of the Hynniewtrep Integrated Territorial Organization (HITO), claimed on Tuesday that Azad even insulted the Khasi tribe by altering a photo to show the outfit as a readily available item of women's clothing.
Dkhar told the media that the organisation would stage a rally on December 30, which also happens to be the day to remember the 160th death anniversary of the illustrious martyr U Woh Kiang Nangbah, in order to defend the self-respect and rich history of the Khasi tribe against such attacks.
Himanta Biswa Sarma, the chief minister of Assam, and Pema Khandu, the chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh, previously criticised the cricketer-turned-politician for posting the tweet.
Sarma posted on Twitter: "Sad to see Kirti Azad disrespecting Meghalayan culture and making fun of our tribal garb. If TMC agrees with his viewpoints, they urgently need to say so. The people won't forgive them since their silence will be seen as tacit support ".
"Hello, Kirti Azad You are scornful and abhorrent for making fun of Meghalaya's rich tribal traditions and our rich tribal history. Your language is abhorrent to women's dignity and pitiable. I detest it, "Khandu posted a tweet.
(Inputs from Agencies)