Outlook magazine on Monday apologised for wrongly attributing a remark made by the late Ashok Singhal of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad to home minister Rajnath Singh. The magazine tendered the apology after Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Mohammad Salim triggered a war of words in the Winter session of Parliament on Monday by quoting from the magazine. In its article dated November 16, Outlook said Singh had stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was “the first Hindu ruler in Delhi in 800 years”.

The home minister strongly denied making the remarks and demanded an apology from Salim, which he never got. The magazine later issued an apology for the mistake and for “causing embarrassment” to both leaders. The magazine said, “Outlook deeply regrets the lack of diligence in verifying the source of the statement. It was not our intention to denigrate the home minister or Parliament. Outlook sincerely regrets the embarrassment caused to Mr. Rajnath Singh and Mr. Mohammad Salim.”