New Delhi, July 28 (FN Agency) Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s derogatory remarks against President Draupadi Murmu stirred a major controversy on Thursday, prompting a war of words between the Congress and BJP, with the ruling party targeting Congress President Sonia Gandhi over the remarks. Ugly scenes were witnessed in Lok Sabha after the House was adjourned around 12 noon, with Congress chief Sonia Gandhi being targeted and heckled by ruling party MPs.
On Thursday morning, Union Minister Smriti Irani raised the issue of Chowdhury’s remarks where he referred to the President as “Rashtrapatni”, and demanded an apology from the Congress president. Irani called the Congress ‘anti-women’, and targeted the party chief. Chowdhury, meanwhile, issued an apology, and said it was a ‘slip of tongue’. He also said he is a Bengali, and not good in Hindi, adding that he has sought appointment from the President to apologise to her personally. The House was adjourned within minutes at 11 a.m and against witnessed two adjournments. Ugly scenes unfolded in the Lok Sabha shortly after it was adjourned at 12 noon. Sonia Gandhi approached the treasury benches to talk to senior BJP leader Rama Devi. According to the BJP MP, the Congress President talked about the disruption, and mentioned that Chowdhury has already extended an apology.
Irani approached the Congress President, who as per MPs said she did not want to talk to her. An angry Irani, and other BJP MPs heckled the Congress chief. Women MPs from the Opposition, including Supriya Sule, Jyotsna Mahant, Geeta Kora and others escorted her out of the House. While the BJP said their MPs felt “threatened” as the Congress president approached them, Opposition leaders slammed them for heckling the 75-year-old leader. “Was in Lok Sabha when 75 year old lady senior leader encircled & heckled pack-wolf style when all she did was walk over & speak (masked) to another senior lady panel chairperson. Disgusted to read BJP lies & false version in press,” TMC MP Mahua Moitra said in a tweet. “Unfortunate scenes were witnessed in Lok Sabha today. Was shocked to hear un necessary sloganeering against Mrs Gandhi after house was adjourned. We all should take responsibility of the house and maintain its dignity and decorum,” said Sule. Shiv Sena’s Priyanka Chaturvedi on similar lines said, “This is shameful and bully behaviour of BJP MPs. Has to be condemned by one and all, this hooliganism that was led by a hysterical minister who herself is facing charges of illegal operations in Goa, besides fake education affidavits should be called out.” Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said many MPs felt “threatened” as Sonia Gandhi approached the treasury benches.
“I am saying it before you, I did not imagine there would be a situation for me to say this… many MPs felt threatened as Sonia Gandhi came to one of our very senior members Rama Devi ji to find out… and one of our members approached her, and she said you don’t talk to me… putting the Member of Parliament down in the House,” said Sitharaman. “Instead of remorse from the highest leader of the Congress party, we find greater and greater aggression,” Sitharaman added. Congress MPs also slammed the BJP for disrespecting Sonia Gandhi, even as they raised the issue of disrespectful behaviour towards women by Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury in the Murmu case, and demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “They are talking about the comments against the President, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has apologised for it… at the same time they are insulting a woman leader… Prime Minister Modi should apologise on behalf of the MPs,” Kora said.
“Smriti Irani kept saying Sonia Gandhi is talking too much, is it a crime to speak?” said Kora. Congress General Secretary Communication Jairam Ramesh, is a statement, said Irani had “behaved inappropriately” with Sonia Gandhi and used “derogatory terms”. “Sonia Gandhi was talking to a BJP MP, Rama Devi. Smriti Irani came to Sonia Gandhi and spoke abusive words in a very derogatory tone. When Sonia-ji politely told her, ‘I am not talking to you, I am talking to another MP,’ Smriti Irani shouted, ‘You don’t know me, who I am’. MPs of many other parties and Congress MPs are witnesses to this incident,” Ramesh said in a statement in Hindi. “Can an MP not even talk to a fellow MP? Smriti Irani can make her point in a political way. Why is she taking such a heckling attitude with a senior MP and a party president?” he said.