Congress Interim President Sonia Gandhi summoned an emergency meeting of top party officials at the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) office on Thursday. Mallikarjun Kharge, the leader of the opposition, and MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury have also been summoned, news agency ANI reported.
This meeting has been called immediately after Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s comment referring to President Droupadi Murmu as “Rashtrapatni” sparked outrage.
Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi calls an urgent meeting of senior party leaders in the CPP office; party leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury also called.
— ANI (@ANI) July 28, 2022
Meanwhile, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary has written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, requesting that he provide him the opportunity to address on the floor of the house about the charges made against him for his remarks.
Leader of Congress Party in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary has requested Lok Sabha Speaker to give him a chance to speak on the floor of the house on the allegations made against him for his statement, he has given a letter on this as well.
(File Pic) pic.twitter.com/0ISb72u1Fi— ANI (@ANI) July 28, 2022
However, he has refused to apologise, claiming that he had misspoken ‘Rashtrapatni’ and accusing the BJP of deliberately exaggerating the problem.
BJP Slams Congress Over Rashtrapatni Remark
The BJP went all out against the Congress and Sonia Gandhi after Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s ‘Rashtrapatni’ statement, which insulted India’s first tribal President.
Both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha were adjourned as BJP MPs, including Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Union Minister Smriti Irani, protested Adhir Ranjan’s sexist remark and demanded an apology from him.
Smriti Irani, Union Minister of Women and Child Development, stated during a press conference on Thursday that the country is fully aware that the Congress party is anti-tribal, anti-Dalit, and anti-women.
She claimed that Congress has been targeting her viciously since the Presidential Election was declared and Drupadi Murmu was selected as the NDA’s candidate.
“A tribal woman from a poor family who created history is being continuously demeaned by the Congress,” she was quoted by PTI in its report.
“Adhir Chowdhury addressed her as Rashtrapatni knowing well that this humiliates the highest constitutional post. The country knows that the Congress in anti-tribal, anti-Dait and anti-women,” she said.
Inside Parliament, female MPs, notably Nirmala Sitharaman, condemned Adhir Chowdhury’s remark, seeking an apology from the party.