Under fire, Rawat apologises but says torn jeans not right

Facing flak over his "ripped jeans" comment, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat on Friday said he apologises for the remark if it has hurt anybody.

But at the same time, he repeated his objection to ripped jeans, saying he has no problem with jeans with but wearing "torn" ones is "not right".

Referring to his remark made earlier this week, Rawat told the media that he had commented that nowadays children bring a costly jean home and then cut it with a scissor.

He had only talked about the environment at home and this applies to him as well, Rawat said.

If we inculcate good values and discipline in children, they will never fail in future, the CM added, stressing that he had made the comment at a programme held to keep the children away from intoxicants and other evils.

Describing himself as a man from a rural background, Rawat on Friday said whenever his pant was torn in schooldays, he feared that his teacher would scold him. Due to discipline and values, we used cover it with a patch, he said.

Rawat had drawn flak after at an event earlier this week he said youngsters follow strange fashion trends due to a lack of values and consider themselves to be big shots after wearing jeans ripped at the knees. Women also follow such trends.

Rawat then went on to describe the attire of a woman who sat next to him on a flight. He described her as wearing boots, jeans ripped at the knees, bangles in her hands and with two children travelling with her. He also said she runs an NGO, goes out in society and has two children and wondered what values she would give them.