Humza Yousaf revealed he hasn’t been informed of any legal action being taken against him by Rangers after the club hit out at senior figures after their players were cleared of alleged sectarian singing.
The then justice secretary said any player found to have been using sectarian language should be removed by the Ibrox club before a video appeared online.
However, a Police Scotland probe found that no criminality had taken place and Rangers said in a statement they had “initiated legal proceedings against certain individuals for comments made”.
Furious Rangers fans started an online petition calling for Yousaf’s resignation but club hierarchy haven’t made any moves against him as yet.
Asked on the BBC Sunday Show by host Gary Robertson if he thought he was one of the individuals facing legal action, he said: “I certainly haven’t received any intimation of that sort.
“I don't think anybody can accuse me of taking a side. I was pretty clear, having been asked about that view on a number of occasions, that if - and I stressed it very clearly - that IF that video was genuine then action should be taken.
“Not only did I stress that, I said Police should establish the facts. You are on the BBC asking me these questions - it was your BBC colleagues who asked me to comment on that video.”
And Yousaf again blasted the behaviour of the fans as he refused to apologise for calling out the actions of some in George Square.
He said: “As justice secretary I don’t make an apology for calling it out and calling it what it is.
“I don’t blame Rangers Football Club and in fact, believe it or not, have a very constructive relationship with Rangers Football Club.
“What we saw last weekend on the streets of Glasgow was the most disgraceful and shameful display of anti-Catholic bigotry and anti-Irish racism I’ve ever seen.
“If it had been anti-Muslim, anti-Semitic or against black people there would have been universal condemnation
“We saw anti-Catholic hatred, anti-Irish bigotry and not a syllable of condemnation, for example, from the Conservatives whereas there would have been universal condemnation if it had just about any other community.
“I’m not here to defend so-called fans who took part in that kind of behaviour. Let’s not deflect away from what we say on May 15th which was simply unacceptable.”
And despite a spike of coronavirus cases in the south side of Glasgow, Yousaf is confident Hampden can still host Euros games this summer.
He said: “We’re still very hopeful to being able to do that but we’ll continue to take a look at this on a week by week basis.
“We’re working really closely with the footballing authorities and my hope would be in time for the first match at Hampden we should have spectators to the numbers we agreed.”
