Tharoor, currently in Liberia on an official visit, tweeted Thursday night that he was 'sorry' for the comments and that his words had been misunderstood.

At a press conference Friday, Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari reacted to Gehlot's demand, stating: 'Such statements by Tharoor are bound to evoke reactions.'

With the government running a highly-visible austerity drive, the prime minister's iftar party was a much smaller affair this year.

'It was an austere Iftar affair. We had to prune the list of journalists from 150 to 40,' said the prime minister's media advisor Harish Khare.

The iftar party was attended by Vice President Hamid Ansari, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Leader of Opposition L.K. Advani and foreign ambassadors.