Sonia Gandhi’s “poor thing” remark on President Murmu draws BJP criticism; Congress defends, calling it misinterpreted
New Delhi: The Budget Session began with a fresh controversy as Congress leader Sonia Gandhi called President Droupadi Murmu a “poor thing”. Reacting to the President’s speech, Mrs Sonia Gandhi said: “The President was getting very tired, she could hardly speak. Poor thing.”
In a rare response, the President’s office issued a statement, in response to Mrs Gandhi’s remarks, saying the comments were in “poor taste, unfortunate and entirely avoidable”. Taking note of the video, the President’s press secretary Ajay Kumar Singh said: “Rashtrapati Bhavan would like to clarify that nothing could be further from the truth. The President was not tired at any point.” She has believed that speaking up for marginalised communities, for women and farmers, as she was doing during the course of her address, can never be tiring,” the statement said. It further added: “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.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacked the Congress over Mrs Sonia Gandhi’s “poor thing” remark about Ms Murmu’s address to the joint sitting of Parliament, calling it an “insult” to a President who comes from a tribal community.
BJP president J.P. Nadda slammed the Congress parliamentary party chairperson over her remark. “Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s use of the phrase ‘poor thing’ to refer to the President is deeply disrespectful and underscores the Opposition’s continued disregard for the dignity of the highest constitutional office. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident,” Mr Nadda said on X.
“While the President was highlighting the government’s achievements, the Opposition -- driven by its feudal mindset --chose instead to mock the empowerment of backward classes and women, a transformation brought about under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership,” he added.
“I condemn the comments made by Sonia Gandhi and other Opposition leaders. Our President, a tribal woman, is not weak... Droupadi Murmu has worked extensively for the country and society and they cannot even imagine the kind of work she has done... They should apologise to her,” Union minister for parliamentary affairs Kiren Rijiju said.
Congress Lok Sabha MP Priyanka Gandhi came to her mother’s defence, insisting her comments were being misinterpreted. “My mother is a 78-year-old lady. She simply said that ‘the President must have been tired reading such a long speech, poor thing’. She fully respects her and has the utmost respect for her (the President). Unfortunately, this kind of thing is twisted by the media,” Priyanka Gandhi told reporters in New Delhi. She also criticised the BJP demand for an apology, saying it should first apologise for “ruining the country”.
“They are both respected people, they are older than us, they are at a certain age now and it is pretty clear that she (Sonia Gandhi) means no disrespect,” the Congress MP said, speaking to reporters after attending a committee meeting at the Parliament House complex.
The BJP also demanded an apology. While the Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi described the speech as “boring”, Trinamul Congress MP Kalyan called it “funny” and “depressing”. He said: “It is really funny. If you compare the speech from 2024 and today's speech, all are equal. It has been proved that nothing new has been done by Narendra Modi in the last one year”. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, however, praised the speech.
