Rashtrapati Bhavan issued a strong statement on Friday condemning Sonia Gandhi’s comment about President Droupadi Murmu during her address to the Parliament. The Congress leader had said the President was “getting very tired” and described her as a “poor thing” at the end of her speech, sparking political controversy.
The President’s office clarified that Droupadi Murmu was “not tired at any point” during the address and described Sonia Gandhi’s remark as “in poor taste, unfortunate, and entirely avoidable.” The statement emphasized that President Murmu considered her role of speaking on behalf of marginalized communities, women, and farmers as inspiring and never exhausting.
The remarks by Sonia Gandhi drew immediate backlash from the BJP, with Union Minister JP Nadda and BJP IT Cell Chief Amit Malviya accusing the Congress of showing disrespect towards the President. Nadda called it reflective of an “elitist, anti-poor, and anti-tribal mindset” and demanded an unconditional apology from Congress.
Sonia Gandhi’s statement was captured by reporters during the Budget session, where her son Rahul Gandhi also reportedly described the President’s speech as “boring.” Defending her mother, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi said that Sonia Gandhi’s comments had been misinterpreted and countered by BJP leaders for political gain.
As the row escalates, all eyes are on whether Congress will issue an apology or stand firm on its stance, defending its narrative.
