'Cancer divine justice' quote: Assam health minister finally makes unconditional apology

Assam health minister Hemanta Biswa Sharma, who found himself in the centre of a storm for his tweet 'cancer divine justice for our sins', said on Thursday that he was being "quoted out of context" and offered an unconditional apology for his remarks.

"My speech on divine justice and Karmic deficiency is being quoted out of context. In their bid to trivialize and sensationalise, no one is looking at content of my whole speech and intent," Himanta Biswa Sarma told ANI.

He reiterated that he had made the remarks so that teachers did not neglect poor students of government schools and so that district education officers did not "harass teachers".

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"It was said in the context of helping poor students of Government schools and request to teachers not to neglect them. It was also a message to indicate district education officers not to harass teachers."

"At no point my statement was intended to cause any pain to cancer patients. However, if owing to the blatant distortions, it has caused any anxiety and problems to anyone, I hereby offer my unconditional apology for the pain," the Assam health minister said.