‘Even though I am at centre of the controversy, BJP is attacking Sonia Gandhi’: Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on ‘Rashtrapatni’ remarks

New Delhi: In the wake of the ongoing row over the “Rashtrapatni” remarks, Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said that he had demanded a chance to respond to the complaints filed against him in Parliament.

“Yesterday I was not given a chance to respond to the complaints filed against me, in the parliament. I have demanded a chance to respond in the parliament, today,” said Chowdhury while speaking to ANI on Friday. Chowdhury further added that even though he is the centre of the controversy, the Bharatiya Janata Party is attacking Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi.

“The way Sonia Gandhi was targeted in the parliament yesterday.. the government must issue an apology. I am at the centre of this controversy. But the BJP is attacking Sonia Gandhi,” said Chowdhury.
BJP has left everything and started attacking Sonia Gandhi,” he further added.

Chowdhury’s “Rashtrapatni” remark about President Droupadi Murmu led to a political storm with Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha facing disruptions.

In the Lok Sabha, Union minister Smriti Irani hit out at Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury for referring to President Murmu as “Rashtrapatni” and sought an apology.

She also attacked Sonia Gandhi over Chowdhury’s remarks alleging that the Congress leader “sanctioned the humiliation” of President Murmu.

In Rajya Sabha, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman demanded an apology from Sonia Gandhi. Three more opposition members were suspended from Rajya Sabha on Thursday for “unruly behaviour”.

Smriti Irani alleged that Congress workers and leaders “continue to demean the Office of the President of India”
“Sonia Gandhi, you sanctioned the humiliation of Droupadi Murmu. Sonia ji sanctioned the humiliation of a woman in the highest constitutional post. Sonia ji sanctioned the humiliation of a poor woman who ascends to the highest Office in this country. You sanctioned the insult of every Indian citizen. You through your male Congress workers and leaders continue to demean the Office of the President of India. Apologies to the nation. Sonia Gandhi apologise to the tribal, poor and woman of the country,” she said.

BJP women MPs have filed a complaint with the Lok Sabha Speaker against Sonia Gandhi.

Sitharaman later told ANI that some BJP MPs in Lok Sabha “felt threatened when Sonia Gandhi came up to our senior leader Rama Devi to find out what was happening during which, one of our members approached there and she (Sonia Gandhi) said ‘you don’t talk to me’, putting the member down in the House”.

“So instead of remorse, from the highest leader of the Congress party, we find greater and greater aggression,” Sitharaman said.

The Union minister said that “in every way, Congress party has been attempting to undermine a tribal, self-made, successful leader. We, from the BJP demand the Congress party apologise to the nation”.

However, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary told the media that he had mistakenly used the term “rashtrapatni” and alleged that the ruling party was deliberately trying to make a mountain out of a molehill.