Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s comments regarding President Droupadi Murmu’s address to Parliament on Friday ignited a political firestorm. Commenting on the President’s speech, Sonia Gandhi said, “She could hardly speak, poor thing.”
This has prompted backlash from political leaders, particularly from the BJP, which retorted at Gandhi’s remark, claiming that it “shows the elitist, anti-poor and anti-tribal nature of the Congress Party”. Further, the saffron party flagged, “Such an insult of the President was unprecedented.”
Sonia Gandhi ‘poor thing remark’: How BJP Reacted?
BJP President JP Nadda tweeted, “I and every BJP Karyakarta strongly condemns the usage of the phrase “poor thing” by Smt. Sonia Gandhi for Honourable President of India, Droupadi Murmu Ji. The deliberate usage of such words shows the elitist, anti-poor and anti-tribal nature of the Congress Party. I demand that the Congress Party unconditionally apologise to the Honourable President and the tribal communities of India.”
Without directly hitting out at Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, Assam CM and BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “Rashtrapati Ji’s address to Parliament was comprehensive, relevant and aspirational. It had the essential ingredients to realise the aim of a Viksit Bharat. My gratitude to Rashtrapati Ji for eloquently laying down the government’s priorities and policies for the near term.”
BJP MP Sambit Patra said, “It is unfortunate that Congress leader Sonia Gandhi made such an inappropriate comment on President Droupadi Murmu… She called her a ‘poor thing’, which translates to ‘bechari’. The President can never be ‘poor thing’… The position she holds and where she comes from, she can never be a ‘poor thing’. If anything, Rahul Gandhi is the only ‘poor thing’ in the country.”
Rajya Sabha member Rekha Sharma also jumped the wagon and remarked, “I feel when Congress is out of power, it loses its mind. The Nehru-Gandhi power cannot stay without being in power. They don’t know how one should talk about constitutional positions. I noticed that Sonia ji was smiling when the message of condolence for lives lost in Kumbh was being read from the English version of the President’s speech today. She was also telling her party MPs to make noise. Her conduct in the House is of very low level.”
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said, “Such an insult of the President was unprecedented. The kind of words Congress MP Sonia Gandhi and her son and LoP Rahul Gandhi used against the President, I cannot even imagine. What else can be expected from them?”
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju condemned Sonia Gandhi’s comments. “I condemn the comments made by Sonia Gandhi and other opposition leaders. Our President, a tribal woman, is not weak… Droupadi Murmu has worked extensively for the country and society, and they cannot even imagine the kind of work she has done… They should apologise to her…”
President Droupadi Murmu’s Speech
President Murmu’s address kicked off the Budget Session on Friday. Emphasising that the government is working on all-around development, President Murmu said that the country has only one aim, which is to become a Vikshit Bharat (developed India), and the government is working with a “saturation approach” so nobody is left in the journey.
