SDLP leader Alasdair McDonnell is standing by his remarks about the DUP "not wanting a Taig about the place."
The South Belfast MP has faced unionist anger over the comments, which were made at the opening of an SDLP office in Glengormley on Thursday evening.
Acting first minister Arlene Foster, whom Dr McDonnell has criticised for her recent remarks about remaining in the Stormont executive to guard against "rogue" republican and nationalist ministers, has called for the SDLP leader to apologise.
She accused him of an "inaccurate slur" against the DUP and of offending many Catholics.
Dr McDonnell has also faced criticism from Sinn Féin, who he claimed in the same recording made by a North Belfast News reporter: "can’t tell the truth."
In his unscripted address to guests at the office opening, the South Belfast MP said: "The DUP don't want partnership - they don't want a taig about the place. I'm sorry, it's as brutal as that."
Dr McDonnell went on to cite examples of where he felt Sinn Féin could not tell the truth:
"... like Gerry Adams was never in the IRA and you've examples like Martin McGuinness saying this, that and the other thing. They're not telling the truth."
Speaking to the Irish News yesterday in a pre-arranged interview, the SDLP leader was unrepentant.
He said Ms Foster’s "outrageous remarks" were the catalyst for what he said.
"It is patently obvious to thousands of people out there that the DUP resist power sharing tooth and nail," he said.
Dr McDonnell said he did regard the acting first minister’s remarks as sectarian but said some people would.
"It can be interpreted by others as being sectarian but I’m not going that far at this stage," he said.
He said the term ‘Taigs’ was used to portray a particular unionist mentality. Asked whether he believes DUP assembly members think in those terms he responded: "That’s the impression a lot of us have."
Dr McDonnell did not express any regret at using the word.
"Language is language – that’s a term that’s commonly used on the streets of Belfast," he said.
The SDLP leader said he wanted to bring honesty back into politics.
"There’s so much fudge and creative ambiguity that no-one faces the reality," he said.
The South Belfast MP said his remarks about Sinn Féin related to republicans’ links to the murder of Kevin McGuigan in Belfast’s Short Strand and a continued association with organised crime.
He said Sinn Féin needed a "policy change."
"The denials are no longer an option,” he said.
Ms Foster said the SDLP leader’s comments were “offensive and inaccurate” and that he should apologise.
The DUP acting first minister said she was "hugely disappointed" by his use of "pejorative language".
"Anyone that knows the way in which I operate, both at a constituency level and indeed at ministerial level, knows that this is utter rubbish," she said.
Sinn Féin's Alex Maskey challenged Dr McDonnell to produce evidence to support his allegations.
"Anything that I have heard Alasdair McDonnell coming out with in this past week has just reaffirmed in my mind that the man is a bumbling idiot," Mr Maskey said.
SDLP deputy leader Dolores Kelly said her leader’s remarks were "not a choice of words that I would use".
