'In Poor Taste, Avoidable': Rashtrapati Bhavan On Sonia Gandhi's 'Poor Thing' Remark On Murmu

Without naming the Congress leader, a statement from the President Murmu's office called the comments made by 'some prominent leaders' in poor taste, "unfortunate and entirely avoidable." 

File photo of President Droupadi Murmu and Congress leader Sonia Gandhi.

Source : PTI

The Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday reacted to Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's statement on President Droupadi Murmu's address to the Parliament as "unfortunate and entirely avoidable".   

Without naming the Congress leader, a statement from the President Murmu's office called the comments made by 'some prominent leaders' in poor taste, "unfortunate and entirely avoidable." 

"While reacting to the media on the Hon’ble President’s Address to the Parliament, some prominent leaders of the Congress party have made comments that clearly hurt the dignity of the high office, and therefore are unacceptable. These leaders have said that the President was getting very tired by the end and she could hardly speak," the statement from the President's office said.

The Rashtrapati Bhavan said that President Murmu was not tired at any point and added that she believed that "speaking up for the marginalized communities, for women and farmers, as she was doing during the course of her address, can never be tiring."

#WATCH | Delhi | After the President's address to the Parliament, Congress MP Sonia Gandhi says,"...The President was getting very tired by the end...She could hardly speak, poor thing..." pic.twitter.com/o6cwoeYFdE

— ANI (@ANI) January 31, 2025

"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," the statement added.

Earlier in the day, President Murmu addressed a joint sitting of the two houses at the beginning of the Budget Session of the Parliament.

While speaking to reporters after the session, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi said that President Murmu looked tired after the long speech.  

"The President was getting very tired by the end. She could hardly speak, poor thing," Sonia Gandhi told reporters.

The BJP also attacked Sonia Gandhi's reaction to President Murmu's address, saying the Congress leader remark demeans the high office and reflects her feudal mindset.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the Congress, accusing its shahi parivar of insulting President Murmu, who hails from a tribal background.

In a direct response to Congress leaders' remarks on Murmu, Modi, at a public meeting in Dwarka, said, "These Congress people think they are the masters of the country. The arrogance of the Congress royal family has once again been exposed."   

"Today, our common President, Droupadi Murmu ji, addressed Parliament. She spoke about the achievements of the nation and the vision for a developed India. Coming from a tribal family in Odisha, she rose from the tribal region to represent the nation. Despite not speaking Hindi as her mother tongue, but Odia, she delivered an inspiring speech to Parliament," he added.