(AFP) - Romanian Agriculture Minister Petre Daea apologized Thursday for having compared the incineration of dead pigs infected with African-swine-fever to the Auschwitz concentration camp. Daea said in a statement, "I respect all the members of the Jewish community and clarify that I only wished to describe the difficult situation facing Romanian breeders due to the African swine fever."
Daea said in a television interview Tuesday that in breeding grounds affected by the disease, "pigs are incinerated, it's extraordinary work, it's like Auschwitz". While the minister's statements often cause confusion, the centre-right opposition has called for his resignation, with former prime minister Dacian Ciolos saying it was "unacceptable to compare the incineration of pigs to a world tragedy". The National Council for Combating Discrimination said it would open an inquiry and demand explanations from Daea.