Union Minister Narayanaswamy in spot over 'baby' comments

Narayanaswamy, also the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, expressed regret over the reported remark, saying, "It was made in a lighter vein".

"The Congress government has given everything except babies", Narayanaswamy was reported to have told a public meeting at Lawspet here during his campaign for the April 13 Assembly polls for the Union Territory of Puducherry.

"I did not want to hurt anybody, particularly women. I tender my regrets", Narayanaswamy said, adding he only meant the Congress government had given "everything for all sections and has evolved schemes for babies also".

Narayanaswamy's reported remarks evoked sharp reaction from Swaraj, who called it "most insulting" comments against women and asked the Prime Minister Manmohan Singha and Congress President Sonia Gandhi to take action against him.

"This is a highly insulting and condemnable comment the Central Minister has made against women", Swaraj told reporters here describing the remark as "shocking".

"This was not not a comment made in lighter vein at all but is a character assassination on womanhood", the BJP leader said, adding she as a woman was ashamed of hearing the remark.