New Delhi: Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s derogatory reference to President Droupadi Murmu kicked up a major storm and it showed up in the Parliament today, as the treasury & opposition benches engaged in war of words over the ‘Rashtrapatni’ row.
As the House convened for the day, BJP lawmakers protested loudly against Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s ‘Rashtrapatni’ remarks and also demanded apology from party chief Sonia Gandhi. BJP members also flashed ‘Sonia Gandhi apologise’ placards while protesting against Congress.
While the BJP mounted strong protest over demeaning of the President by Congress, it also led to a brief ‘heated exchange’ between Union Minister Smriti Irani & Cong chief Sonia Gandhi.
Smriti Irani leading the protests said, “Sonia Gandhi, you sanctioned the humiliation of Droupadi Murmu. Sonia Ji sanctioned humiliation of a woman at the highest constitutional post.”
एकआदिवासी महिला द्रौपदी मुर्मू जी के राष्ट्रपति पद का उम्मीदवार बनते ही कांग्रेस के नेताओं ने उन्हें कठपुतली, अशुभ और अमंगल का प्रतीक कहा और कल कांग्रेस के नेता सदन ने उन्हें राष्ट्रपत्नी कहा।
सोनिया गांधी और कांग्रेस के नेताओं को इसके लिए माफी मांगनी चाहिए: श्रीमती @smritiirani pic.twitter.com/D1Vr0dkj8U
— BJP (@BJP4India) July 28, 2022
‘Don’t talk to me’: Sonia to Smriti
As the House witnessed chaos, the Speaker adjourned the House.
While members started exiting the House, Sonia Gandhi walked across the floor of the House to protesting BJP MPs, Rama Devi in particular, and asked “why my name being dragged into it, Adhir has already apologized for it.”
It was then Smriti Irani intervened and said, “Madam, May I help you? I took your name.”
Already irked by protests, Sonia Gandhi gave a curt reply, saying, “don’t talk to me.”
This triggered further slogan-shouting and loud protest in the House. Reports said that NCP’s Supriya Sule and TMC MPs accompanied Sonia Gandhi back to the Opposition camp.
Soon after, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi stepped in to defuse the situation.
Sonia’s reply to media on Adhir’s apology
After the war of words, when Sonia Gandhi was followed by mediaperson, the Congress chief said in a terse reply that Adhir has already apologized.
He has already apologised, an angry #SoniaGandhi tells @ANI on @adhirrcinc objectionable remark on @rashtrapatibhvn pic.twitter.com/2zAffAV9oR
— ? Payal M/પાયલ મેહતા/ पायल मेहता/ পাযেল মেহতা (@payalmehta100) July 28, 2022
Nirmala narrates what transpired in House
Minutes later, the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman narrated the incident to mediapersons and said that it was intimidating moment for some BJP MPs as Congress chief spoke in a threatening tone.
Taking objection to Sonia’s outburst in the House, she said that instead of showing remorse, the highest leader of party showed more aggression.
#WATCH | Some of our Lok Sabha MPs 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 & she (Sonia Gandhi) said “You don’t talk to me”: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman pic.twitter.com/WxFnT2LTvk
— ANI (@ANI) July 28, 2022
What was controversy by Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury
Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury sparked a major controversy with her remarks on India’s first tribal president. She called the President ‘Rashtrapatni’. Both the Houses were adjourned for the day. Though Congress leader initially remained brazen about his remark and refused to apologize for the remark. As the row snowballed into a major issue, dragging Congress chief Sonia Gandhi into the controversy, he offered apology for his wrongful remarks.
However, he maintained that the issue was being overplayed by BJP and he accused the latter of making the issue mountain of a molehill.
