Lalu clarifies remarks on people of Karnataka

New Delhi, Feb 26: Railway Minister Lalu Prasad today clarifed in the Lok Sabha that a section of the media had ''misreported'' his comments on the people of Karnataka and said he had high respect for the state and its people.

Mr Prasad made the clarification just before presenting the Railway Budget in the House. BJP MP Ananth Kumar had sought to raise the issue of Mr Prasad being quoted as saying that the people of Karnataka, protesting against the inadequate recruitment of local people in the Railways, were dirty people.''When the question was raised, I advised the media not to raise dirty things but the media quoted me as saying dirty people,'' he said.

Mr Prasad said he held good views about the people of Karnataka and reminded that the country had chosen a person from the state to become the Prime Minister of the country, referring to former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda who headed the United Front government in 1996.

UNI