Congress leader Ajoy Kumar's reference to Sikkim as a "neighbouring country" has drawn widespread criticism from various sections of the society, including political parties, in the Himalayan state.
Kumar, during a press conference on Tuesday, had referred to the state as a neighbouring country in the same frame alongside Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
However, with the issue snowballing into a controversy, the senior Congress leader on Tuesday apologised, stating it was a "slip of the tongue".
"Yesterday, in my press conference on 'SAIL 400 crore scam', when I was speaking on the deteriorating relations with our neighbouring countries, I accidentally took the name of a state for which I sincerely apologise as it was just a slip of the tongue... BJP looks for small mistakes of the opposition leaders," he added.
Sikkim's lone Lok Sabha MP Indra Hang Subba said Kumar's remark was "irresponsible and insulting", and a "grave affront to the people of the state, who have always stood with unwavering loyalty to the nation".
"Such divisive rhetoric reflects a deep ignorance of our constitutional integration and disrespects the proud identity of the Northeast," he said in a Facebook post.
"We will not tolerate any attempt to question our belonging to this great nation," he stated.
Similarly, the Sikkim unit of the BJP called the statement "outrageous and ignorant".
BJP's Sikkim unit media in-charge, Niren Bhandari, expressed deep concern over the Congress leader's "lack of awareness about India's history and geography", especially from someone who had previously served as an IPS officer and a Member of Parliament.
"The Congress must take immediate steps to educate its leaders and prevent such disgraceful blunders," he stated, urging for accountability and respect toward Sikkim's identity as an integral part of India since 1975.
"Sikkimese people are proud Indians and the state has contributed a lot to the development of the nation. Such a comment disrespects the people, many of whom have given their blood and sweat to serving the nation," he stated.
The Citizens Action Party (CAP) also condemned the remark and expressed dissatisfaction.
"Such a statement coming from a national leader of the Congress is disgraceful. The statement, coming at a time when Sikkim is celebrating its 50 years of statehood, is truly irresponsible and sad," CAP leader Prakash Parajuli said.