Govt apologises to Hamid Ansari

New Delhi: The government on Monday apologised for BJP leader Ram Madhav's criticism of Vice President Hamid Ansari's absence at the Yoga Day celebrations over which the Congress accused it of playing ‘divisive’ politics. Union Minister Shripad Naik cited protocol to say that the Vice President can't be invited to an event where the Prime Minister is chief guest amid reports that the government is upset with the needless controversy triggered by Madhav's tweets. "Unknowingly something happens, we apologise for that. It should have been avoided. It's a mistake, he (Madhav) agrees, he apologised. He withdrew his statement," Naik said.