By The Sampadak Express
The Rashtrapati Bhavan has strongly criticized Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s recent remark referring to President Droupadi Murmu as a “poor thing” after her address to Parliament. In an official statement released on Friday, the President’s office called the comment “in poor taste” and “unfortunate,” further stating that it was an unnecessary remark that hurt the dignity of the high office of the President.
The statement from Rashtrapati Bhavan read, “While reacting to the media on the Hon’ble President’s Address to Parliament, some prominent leaders of the Congress party have made comments that clearly hurt the dignity of the high office, and therefore are unacceptable.” The President’s office specifically pointed out remarks alleging that President Murmu had become “very tired” towards the end of her speech and “could hardly speak.”
In response, Rashtrapati Bhavan clarified, saying that these claims were “farther from truth.” The statement further emphasized that at no point was President Murmu tired. “Indeed, she has believed that speaking up for marginalized communities, for women, and farmers, as she was doing during the course of her address, can never be tiring,” it added.
The President’s office suggested that the remarks may have been a result of a misunderstanding due to differences in language and expression. “The President’s office believes it might be the case that these leaders have not acquainted themselves with the idiom and discourse in Indian languages such as Hindi, and thus formed a wrong impression,” the statement suggested. Despite this, it condemned the remarks as “in poor taste” and entirely avoidable.
Political Reactions to Sonia Gandhi’s Remarks
The comments made by Sonia Gandhi during her reaction to President Murmu’s joint address to Parliament have sparked a political storm. Sonia Gandhi had said, “The President was getting very tired by the end…She could hardly speak, poor thing.” Her statement immediately drew criticism from several political leaders, particularly from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Union Minister and BJP National President JP Nadda strongly condemned the use of the term “poor thing” to describe the President, stating, “I and every BJP Karyakarta strongly condemn 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.” Nadda’s comments were aimed at calling attention to the alleged disrespect conveyed by Sonia Gandhi’s choice of words.
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra also condemned the remark, calling it “totally inappropriate.” He said, “She said that during her speech the President was very tired. She called her a poor thing. We want to tell it clearly that the Honourable President is not a poor thing. India is a republic and the world’s largest democracy.”
Context of President Murmu’s Address
President Droupadi Murmu delivered a joint address to both houses of Parliament earlier this week, where she highlighted issues concerning marginalized communities, women, and farmers. The speech was significant for its emphasis on social justice and the empowerment of the underprivileged. In light of these key issues, the comments from Sonia Gandhi about the President’s physical state seemed out of place to many, further intensifying the political controversy.
The Congress Party, in response, has not officially addressed the controversy surrounding Sonia Gandhi’s remarks, but the party is likely to face increased scrutiny over the next few days.
As the political debate continues, the Rashtrapati Bhavan’s statement reiterates that respect for the office of the President is paramount and that such remarks against the head of state are unacceptable in the discourse of Indian democracy.
