Piyush Goyal, union minister and Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha, on Thursday slammed Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury for his remarks on President Droupadi Murmu and warned that 'this country will never tolerate this insult to our tribal people'.
Goyal joined cabinet colleague Nirmala Sitharaman in ripping into Chowdhury for not apologising, declaring '... after all this, he said there is no need to apologise...'
"The way AR Chowdhury has insulted the President shows their (the Congress party's) mentality. This country will never tolerate this insult to our tribal people. After all that, he said that there is no need to apologise for this," he said.
"He said that deliberately and repeated it twice. Is this a small incident? We demand Congress interim president apologise in the parliament and also in front of the country."
Adhir Chowdhury triggered a massive row this morning after he referred to Droupadi Murmu as 'rashtrapatni' while talking to media during protests by his party that have brought the monsoon session of Parliament to a virtual standstill.
The Congress leader has clarified his remarks but not apologised as yet.
{{/usCountry}}The Congress leader has clarified his remarks but not apologised as yet.
{{/usCountry}}READ | Adhir Chowdhury says he uttered ‘rashtrapatni’ once; ‘Will I be hanged now?'
"Yesterday I was asked about the Congress's protest plan. I told them that we were going to meet the Rashtrapati. I said Rashtrapati first and then the word 'rashtrapatni' came out of my mouth... but if a word comes out of my mouth, what can I do. I said the word only once."
READ | What Sonia Gandhi said on Adhir calling Murmu 'rashtrapatni'
The BJP has been quick to pounce, with union minister Smriti Irani also firing at the Congress and interim chief Sonia Gandhi, who must, she declared in parliament, apologise. She added that the 'nation knows the Congress is anti-tribal, anti-Dalit and anti-women'.
Nirmala Sitharaman claimed that Adhir's comment was not a slip of tongue but a deliberate act to insult the President of India. "It is a sexist comment and the Congress leadership should apologise," she said.
READ | 'A sexist comment…': Nirmala Sitharaman slams Cong, Adhir over Murmu remark
Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi has responded to the media and said that 'Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has already apologised', a claim refuted by Sitharaman, who said 'she is misleading the country'.