Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has sparked a massive controversy by calling President Draupadi Murmu ‘Rashtrapatni’. The Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha have been adjourned after a huge uproar over this issue. Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury admitted that it was his ‘mistake’ to call President Draupadi Murmu ‘Rashtrapatni’. However, the Congress leader has refused to apologize and said that the ruling party is trying to make mountain out of a molehill.
Amidst the uproar, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has clarified his statement. He said, “Two days ago when I was going towards Vijay Chowk, I was being asked where you’re going. I was telling them that I want to go to Rashtrapati Bhavan and meet the President. Yesterday, I spoke this word (Rashtrapatni – apparently meaning wife of the nation) by mistake. I know that whoever the President of India is, he is the ‘Rashtrapati’ for us. I spoke that word only once. This is a mistake. But some people of the ruling party are trying to make mountain out of a molehill. Once I uttered that word, so what to do now? Hang me to death. I don’t have anything to say about the BJP.”
Union Minister Smriti Irani slammed the Congress party over Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s comments and asked Congress president Sonia Gandhi to apologize. She said, “Sonia Gandhi, you approved the insult to Draupadi Murmu. Sonia Ji approved the insult of a woman in the highest constitutional post. Ever since she became the presidential candidate, Draupadi Murmu became the center of hatred of the Congress party.”
Smriti Irani added, “Congress leaders have called Murmu a puppet. The congress’s male leaders who committed heinous acts called Draupadi a symbol of evil. Yesterday, the Congress leader of the House insulted the President by addressing her as ‘Rashtrapatni’.”
She further said, “The Congress has insulted every citizen of the country. The Congress and Sonia Gandhi should apologize to the people of the country.”
Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, “Calling the President of India, ‘Rashtrapatni’ wasn’t a slip of the tongue. It was a deliberate sexist insult against the person who comes from a tribal background. Therefore, Smt. Sonia Gandhi should apologize for the remark made by her party leader.”
It is notable that on 25th July 2022, Draupadi Murmu took an oath as the President of India. She was the candidate of the BJP led NDA, who defeated opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha by a wide margin. Former President Ramnath Kovind handed over the charge to her as he completed his tenure of 5 years as the President of India.