Manohar Parrikar says sorry in Goa Assembly for using the 'N' word for Africans

Panaji: Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar apologised on Thursday for using the word "N****" in one of the answers tabled on the floor of the House here after the alleged racist slur evoked strong reactions from the members.

"N**** has two meanings. One is about a river in Amazon, and second is (in a) derogatory (sense). For that purpose, if someone is hurt, I apologise for that," he told the Goa Assembly.

The Chief minister blamed a clerk in the police department for the mistake in the written reply on the issue of number of foreign nationals arrested in the state.

"The clerk in police department does not understand how serious the particular word is," he said.

Parrikar, accused that senior journalist Tarun Tejpal might be behind the coverage of the issue.

Tejpal is facing a case of sexual assault in Goa. "I was shocked that a national level TV channel stooped down to this level -- of highlighting a news-report (about use of the term n****). After Tejpal (case), Goa has become famous. I don't know whether he is involved in such coverage. There might be his involvement in this too," Parrikar said, responding to questions in the legislature.

"I was told that some national channels are broadcasting report about the mistake related to n**** word. What is this madness? There are 10,000 pages, I can't go through each word. It was a mistake by a clerk. Also the word was in reference to an unknown person," Parrikar said.

The word appeared in a written reply by government on the issue of foreign nationals arrested in Goa. "I feel pity....I am worried as to whether these news channels will survive....I am not talking against journalists," he added.

In the reply tabled on the floor of the House on Wednesday, Parrikar had referred to an African national arrested at Calangute village on May 8 this year as "unknown African n****".

Later, the CM sought to replace the word "unknown African N****" with "unknown person with dark complexion" after the reference drew flak in the House.

Main Opposition Congress said that such an instance sends negative signals to international tourists.

"A circular needs to be sent to departments asking them to refrain from making such racist remarks. We are a tourist state and such words send negative signals to international tourists," Congress spokesperson Durgadas Kamat had said.

On use of the word in official documentation, he said such unfortunate references create a "bad image" about Goa among the global tourist community.

Earlier in November 2013, State Art and Culture Minister Dayanand Mandrekar has dubbed Nigerians as "cancer", after a group of African nationals were involved in blocking the road at Porvorim near here.