Jual Oram says Mallya comments were a mistake

Bhubaneswar: A day after terming fugitive liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya as smart and encouraging tribals to learn from his entrepreneurial qualities, Union Minister Jual Oram today took back his words and accepted that he "accidentally" took Mallya's name.

"I accidentally took Vijay Mallya's name. I should have taken someone else's name. I should not have taken his name, it was my mistake," Oram was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Speaking at the National Tribal Entrepreneurs Conclave 2018 in Hyderabad, the union minister urged tribals to become smart and avail bank loans to become entrepreneurs like Mallya.

Oram said though people belonging to scheduled castes and scheduled tribes get reservation in education and jobs, the disadvantage is that they are not "treated" at par with others in terms of knowledge and talent.

"We should become entrepreneurs, we should become intelligent. We should become smart. We should gain information. Information is power. Those who have information control power," the minister said.

Oram further questioned, "You people criticise Vijay Mallya. But what is Vijay Mallya? He is smart. He employed some intelligent people. He did something here and there with bankers, politicians and the government...He bought them... Who prevented you (from being smart)? Who asked adivasis not to influence the system? Who prevented you from influencing bankers?"

It is worth mentioning that Mallya has been charged with money laundering cases by several Indian banks and is presently facing an extradition trial in a UK court.

With agency inputs...