A French magazine, Valeurs Actuelles, depicted a French lawmaker as a slave. The magazine has, now, issued an apology after the depiction was criticised by several French government officials.

The lawmaker in the image was Danielle Obono from the far-left party Defiant France, and the magazine mainly caters to the far-right audience.

Obono took to Twitter to condemn the depiction and said, “It seems ‘That We-Can-Could-Nothing-Say’ #BienPensance . Fortunately, we can still write racist shit in a tea towel illustrated by the images of a black African French MP repainted as a slave … The extreme right, odious, stupid and cruel. In short, equal to itself.” (translated from French)

Deputy Editor Tagdual Denis, on the other hand, claimed that the image was not intended to hurt Obono and it was surely not a try to gain attention. However, he did add that he regrets the image the magazine is being painted in on social media since the picture came out. “What I regret is that we are always accused of racism … we are politically incorrect, it”s in our DNA.”

Also read: Black man freed from prison 44 years after being wrongly convicted of rape

Prime Minister Jean Castex from the conservative Republicans party tweeted: “This revolting publication calls for unambiguous condemnation. … The fight against racism will always transcend our differences.”

The junior minister for equality and the only Black member of the French government, Elisabeth Moreno, who has rarely been on the same page as Obono also offered support to her on this matter and tweeted, “I don”t share Danielle Obono”s ideas, but today I offer her all my support.”