Video emerges of Indian politican threatening to kill opposition workers and have women raped

NEW DELHI, July 1 (UPI) -- Offensive comments made by Trinamool Congress (TMC) party MP Tapas Pal weeks ago have sparked outrage in India.

A video of his comments was aired on Bengali news channels on Monday. In the video, Pal is heard threatening to kill opposition workers and have women raped.

"If any CPM [Communist Party of India - Marxist] man is present here, listen to me. If you ever touch any Trinamool Congress worker or their families, you have to pay for this...

"If any rival touches any Trinamool woman, father or child, then I will ruin their generations. I will let loose my boys, they will commit rape. Yes, they will commit rape."

The ruling TMC party in the eastern state of West Bengal has distanced itself from Pal. Party spokesman Derek O'Brien called Pal's remarks "utterly insensitive," adding that "The party does not in any way endorse what he said many weeks ago, which being played out on TV channels."

Pal's wife, Nandini Pal, apologized for her husband while also appealing for understanding. "I apologize to the people of the country for the comments made. The comments need to be seen in the context, but he shouldn't have used the term rape."

The TMC party has asked that Pal, a two-term MP and award-winning Bengali actor, explain his remarks within 48 hours.