Maharashtra MLA  Bacchu Kadu has apologized to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and the people of the state over his derogatory comments, a day after the Assam CM wrote to his Maharashtra counterpart Eknath Shinde.

“I had already apologised to him (Assam CM) for hurting the sentiments of people in Assam. I have withdrawn my statement,” Kadu was quoted by TOI as saying.

This comes after Bacchu Kadu, an independent MLA from Achalpur who runs Prahar Janshakti Party had said that stray dogs from Maharashtra should be sent to Assam for consumption by the people here.

Bacchu Kadu's statement had come on March 4 during an assembly session while a discussion on the stray dogs menace in the state.

The Assam government had come under criticism from the opposition following the incident for its inaction. Later on, Assam CM Sarma had written to Eknath Shinde over Bacchu Kadu’s comments.

“Along with the people of Assam, I am extremely dismayed and agitated by the comments of the MLA (Kadu) which has exposed his prejudices and ignorance about the culture of our state. I am sure you will fully empathise with the sentiments of the people of Assam in this matter,” CM Sarma had written on March 19.

The Assam CM urged Eknath Shinde in his letter saying, “In this backdrop, I request you to advise Kadu to withdraw the comments and ask him to make a press statement expressing regret.”

It may be noted that speaking in the assembly, Bacchu Kadu had said that stray dogs are in demand in Assam and fetch around Rs 8,000 per animal. “To control the population of strays in Maharashtra, these dogs should be dispatched to Assam,” he had said amid demands for concrete actions to control the growing population of stray dogs in cities causing menace to the people.