Sonia takes ‘poor thing’ dig at Murmu; in bad taste, says Prez House
The Rashtrapati Bhavan today issued a rare rebuttal over senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s on-camera remarks addressing President Droupadi Murmu as a “poor thing”. Prime Minister Narendra Modi termed the remarks as a “full display of arrogance of the Congress’ first family”.
Could hardly speak
Poor lady, the President was getting very tired by the end. No... she could hardly speak, poor thing. Sonia Gandhi
Lowers dignity
Comments clearly hurt the dignity of the high office and, therefore, are unacceptable. Rashtrapati Bhavan
Sonia, chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party, responding after Murmu’s address, was caught on video cameras, saying, “Poor lady, the President was getting very tired by the end. No... she could hardly speak, poor thing.” Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi was heard telling his mother who was asked by reporters to comment on the President’s Address, “boring… no comments… repeating the same thing again and again”.
A statement issued by the President’s House later did not name anyone, but said, “Some prominent leaders of the Congress have made comments that clearly hurt the dignity of the high office and therefore, are unacceptable. These leaders have said the President was getting very tired by the end and she could hardly speak.”
The communique added that nothing could be farther from the truth. “The President was not tired at any point. She has believed that speaking up for the marginalised communities, for women and farmers, as she was doing during the course of her address, can never be tiring. 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. In any case, such comments are in poor taste, unfortunate and entirely avoidable,” the statement added.
PM Modi attacked the Congress at a poll rally in Delhi and said, “President Murmu addressed the Parliament today. But a member of the royal family said the language was boring. Urban naxals’ words it seems are more interesting to them,” Modi said.
Earlier, BJP chief JP Nadda led the attack on Sonia, demanding an unconditional apology from her. “I strongly condemn the usage of the phrase “poor thing” by Sonia Gandhi for the President. The usage of such words shows the elitist and anti-tribal stance of the Congress. The party must apologise to the President,” Nadda said.
