Prime Minister Narendra Modi sharply criticized Congress leader Sonia Gandhi for her “poor thing” remark about President Droupadi Murmu. This followed Rashtrapati Bhavan’s statement condemning the comments as “unfortunate and entirely avoidable,” and “in poor taste.”
Following President Murmu’s address to parliament, Sonia Gandhi described the President as a “poor thing,” citing her perceived exhaustion from the speech. She reportedly told reporters, flanked by Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, “The President was getting very tired by the end. She could hardly speak, poor thing.”
Rahul Gandhi was overheard questioning his mother’s reaction, asking, “Boring? No comments? Repeating the same thing again and again?”
Addressing a rally in Delhi’s Dwarka, PM Modi accused the Congress family of displaying “arrogance.” He stated, “President Droupadi Murmu addressed parliament, yet a member of the royal family called the speech boring. Another said it seemed tiring… The royal family finds Urban Naxals’ words more interesting.”
Modi used the term “Urban Naxal,” a label frequently applied by BJP leaders and right-wing groups to opposition figures and activists.
Modi further criticized both the Congress and AAP, stating, “The AAP acts as if they own Delhi, while the Congress family’s arrogance was on full display today. Sonia Gandhi’s comments were totally inappropriate, calling President Droupadi Murmu ‘a poor thing’ after saying she looked tired and gave a boring speech. This remark insults not just the President but also every poor and tribal community.”
Rashtrapati Bhavan issued a statement asserting that the Congress leaders’ comments undermined the dignity of the President’s office. The statement clarified, “These leaders have said that the President was getting very tired by the end and she could hardly speak. Rashtrapati Bhavan would like to clarify that nothing could be farther from the truth. The President was not tired at any point. Indeed, 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 statement continued, “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.”
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