New Delhi: In another faux paw caused by the BharatiyaJanata Party leadership, UP deputy CM Dinesh Sharma said on Thursday evening that Sita’s birth in the “Ramayana” was evidence of a “test-tube baby project”. In less than 24 hours, the top BJP leadership asked him to exercise restraint.

Addressing a function in Lucknow on Thursday evening to mark Hindi Journalism Day, Sharma said: “Sitajikajanmhuatohghadey se hua... us samay test-tube baby ka koi na koi project rahahogajohalchalayaJanakjineaurghadey se baby nikliwohSitaji ban gayi... ye joaajkajo technology hai test-tube baby...wohrahahoga (Sita was born in a pitcher... must be some test-tube baby project at that time; when King Janak was ploughing his field, a pitcher was discovered and the baby found in it came to be known as Sitaji).” The video of Sharma’s speech has since gone viral.

BJP general secretary BhupendraYadav spoke to Sharma on Friday following instruction from the top leadership. A senior BJP functionary said Yadav conveyed to Dinesh Sharma the brass’s displeasure over his comment. “The party believes that Sharma’s views are uncalled for and he should not have made such a statement,” the BJP functionary added.

There were protests in Bihar and Nepal against Sharma’s remarks and effigies were burned at a few places. “His (Sharma’s) views are highly insensitive and the party has made it clear that it strongly disagrees with him,” aBJP functionary said. A day before Sharma made the remark on Sita, he created another controversy when he said that Google existed in ancient times.