Former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Rajya Sabha MP, Tarun Vijay, in a shocking remark, yesterday said, that Indians cannot be considered “racist”, as they live with “black” South Indians.

Tarun Vijay, participating in a debate on Al Jazeera TV, over the issue of attack on some Nigerians in Greater Noida, said, it was wrong to say that Indians are racist.

He further questioned, “If we are racist, why would we have the entire south (India)? Why do we live with them (if we are racist). We have black people all around us.

The BJP leader, after facing severe backlash for his remarks, however, apologized for his statement, saying that, he did not convey what he had meant to.

Vijay, admitting that his choice of words sounded “ridiculous” and “very bad”, he clarified in a series of tweets, that he had meant to say, that India’s racial demographic is diverse, but it has never been an issue for its citizens.

He further cited the example of Lord Krishna, saying that while Krishna means black, we worship him, and said repeatedly that racism was never a problem in India.

Tharun Vijay tweeted, “I feel the entire statement was this- we have fought racism and we have people with different color and culture still never had any racism.”

I feel the entire statement sas this- we have fought racism and we have people with different colour and culture still never had any racism.

— Tarun Vijay (@Tarunvijay) April 7, 2017

“My words, perhaps were not enough to convey this. Feel bad, really feel sorry, my apologies to those who feel in said different than what I meant ” he said in a tweet.

Mywords perhaps were not enough to convey this.Feel bad,really feel sorry, my apologies to those who feel i said different than what I meant https://t.co/I7MddEJk5W

— Tarun Vijay (@Tarunvijay) April 7, 2017

Earlier this week, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj criticized the African envoys who described the attacks on Nigerians in Greater Noida as “xenophobic and racial.”

Four Nigerian students were attacked by a group of Greater Noida residents who took out a candlelight march last after a 17-year-old boy Manish died due to suspected drug overdose last month.

Also Read - Sushma Swaraj Lashes Out At African Envoys On Nigerian Attack

By Supraja