Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury demands apology from Smriti Irani for not using prefix before President’s name

In his letter to Birla, Adhir also reiterated that it was because of his ‘slip of tongue’ that the name of President Murmu was dragged into an ‘unnecessary and unwarranted controversy’

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury interacts with the media at Parliament House during ongoing Monsoon Session, in New Delhi. PTI

PTI

New Delhi, July 31

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Sunday, demanding that Union minister Smriti Irani tender an “unconditional apology” for allegedly yelling the name ‘Droupadi Murmu’ without using the prefix “President or Madam”.

In his letter to Birla, the Congress leader in Lok Sabha also reiterated that it was because of his “slip of tongue” that the name of President Murmu was dragged into an “unnecessary and unwarranted controversy”.

“This inadvertent mistake happened because I am not very good at Hindi. I have regretted my mistake and have apologized to the Hon’ble President,” he said.

He, however, said the manner in which Union minister Irani was taking the name of the President in the House was neither proper nor in consonance with the status and position of the President.

“She was yelling ‘Droupadi Murmu’ repeatedly without prefixing Hon’ble President or Madam or Smt. before the Hon’ble President’s name. This clearly amounts to degrading the stature of the office of the Hon’ble President,” the Congress MP said.

“Therefore, I demand that Smt. Smriti Irani may tender unconditional apology to the Hon’ble President for her disrespectful remarks and for lowering the dignity and stature of the Hon’ble President’s office,” he said.

Chowdhury himself had tendered a written apology to President Murmu on Friday for his “rashtrapatni” remark.

Talking to reporters during a protest at Vijay Chowk here on Wednesday, Chowdhury had used the word “rashtrapatni” for Murmu, which triggered a major row, with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) raising the issue in the Parliament and demanding an apology from him and the Congress president.

Chowdhury had also written to Birla on Friday, alleging that the manner in which Irani took the name of President Murmu in the House amounted to degrading the status of that office, and demanded that her remarks be expunged.