Ravi Kishan (Image/PTI)
NEW DELHI: Actor-turned-politician Ravi Kishan has clarified his recent slip of the tongue that went viral on social media, saying he never understands why his statements become internet sensations and insisting that he is just an ordinary person who makes mistakes like everyone else.The BJP MP from Gorakhpur addressed the controversy after his ‘home-from-work’ remark sparked widespread memes and online reactions.Explaining the incident, Ravi Kishan said he had intended to refer to ‘work from home’ while speaking about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s public appeal amid concerns over the ongoing West Asia crisis and rising fuel-related anxieties.Speaking about the viral moment, Ravi Kishan said: “I swear on Mahadev, I’ve no idea why I keep going viral. I accidentally said ‘home from work’ and ‘jaldi the late’. I was on my way to Parliament and wanted to say I needed to ‘work from home’, but ‘home from work’ slipped out instead.””People look at me as if I’ve arrived from some completely different planet. I’m just a human being, and I make mistakes like everyone else. Why you guys make me go viral is beyond my understanding,” the actor said.The BJP MP also claimed that his repeated viral moments have become a topic of discussion even within his own party circles, PTI reported. “Everyone asks me about it, even people in my own political party. My superiors ask, ‘What exactly do you do?’ I’m like, ‘I don’t know’,” he said.The controversy began after Ravi Kishan spoke to reporters while referring to PM Modi’s appeal related to conserving resources and reducing unnecessary expenditure amid global uncertainties linked to the escalating tensions in West Asia. During his interaction, Ravi Kishan attempted to urge people to adopt ‘work from home’ practices wherever possible, but mistakenly used the phrase “home-from-work”, which quickly went viral online. In the widely circulated clip, Ravi Kishan had said: “PM Modi told the public, ‘Please do not buy gold for one year, avoid travelling abroad. Do not use petrol and diesel, avoid using cars and use the metro instead. Home-from-work is very important. The time has come again when, if your office work can be done from home, you should avoid stepping outside. When you stay at home, all your expenses are controlled there itself. Home-from-work is once again very important.’”This is not the first time Ravi Kishan has gone viral for an unintended statement. Earlier, the actor-politician drew attention after he spoke about the ‘demise’ of NCP leader and Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash.Speaking to reporters hurriedly, Ravi Kishan had said: “On the demise of Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar in a plane crash, there could not be a bigger loss to Maharashtra politics and the country. I knew him personally, and he was known as ‘Baramati ka raja’.”
