Rashtrapati Bhavan Slams Sonia Gandhi's "Poor Thing" Remark As Disrespectful

Highlights

Rashtrapati Bhavan strongly rebukes Sonia Gandhi's comments about President Murmu, asserting that her remarks were "in poor taste" and did not reflect the President's energetic demeanor during her parliamentary address.

In an unprecedented and direct response, the Rashtrapati Bhavan has firmly countered Sonia Gandhi's controversial remarks about President Droupadi Murmu during the Budget session. The presidential office issued a statement categorically rejecting the Congress leader's characterization of the President as being tired, describing her comments as "unfortunate" and "in poor taste."

The press secretary emphasized that President Murmu, 66, was "not tired at any point" during her hour-long address. The statement pointedly noted that the President finds speaking about marginalized communities, women, and farmers energizing, and such discourse could "never be tiring."

In a subtle but pointed critique, the Rashtrapati Bhavan statement suggested that the "leaders" might have misunderstood the nuances of language and discourse, implying a disconnect in their interpretation of the President's speech.

The controversy erupted when Sonia Gandhi was overheard telling her son Rahul Gandhi that the President was "getting very tired" and could "hardly speak." Her use of the phrase "poor thing" quickly drew criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with senior leaders demanding an unconditional apology.

Union Minister JP Nadda accused the Congress of displaying an "elitist, anti-poor and anti-tribal nature," while BJP IT department head Amit Malviya characterized the remark as demeaning to the presidential office.

In response, Priyanka Gandhi defended her mother, arguing that her remarks had been deliberately misinterpreted and that she had the utmost respect for the President.

The incident has escalated tensions between the Congress party and the BJP, turning what was meant to be the first day of the Budget session into a political battleground centered on respect for constitutional offices.