New Delhi, April 1 (IANS): A top Nigerian diplomat here on Wednesday asked union minister Giriraj Singh to apologise for making racist remarks about Congress chief Sonia Gandhi while referring to Nigerian people.

Terming the remarks as unfortunate, Nigerian diplomat O.B. Okongor said "he expects the minister to withdraw the comment and apologize".

The diplomat said: "It was unfortunate that the comment is coming from a minister who also doubles as representative of India."

"He should withdraw the comment and apologize to the people of Nigeria," the diplomat added.

The Nigerian official also said that he would file a complaint against the minister's remark with the Indian foreign ministry and notify his government for further instructions on the issue.

At an event in Bihar on Tuesday, Giriraj Singh, minister of state for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) said: "If Rajiv Gandhi had married a Nigerian and if she wasn't white skinned, would Congress accept her (Sonia Gandhi) as a leader?"