"Elitist, anti-tribal nature of Congress": BJP attacks Sonia Gandhi on her 'poor thing' remarks on President Murmu

New Delhi [India], January 31 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party has slammed Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi for her remarks calling President Droupadi Murmu "poor thing". The ruling party at the Centre said that the remarks showed the "elitist, anti-poor and anti-tribal nature of the Congress."

"I and every BJP Karyakarta strongly condemns the usage of the phrase "poor thing" by Smt. Sonia Gandhi for Honourable President of India, Droupadi Murmu Ji. The deliberate usage of such words shows the elitist, anti-poor and anti-tribal nature of the Congress Party," JP Nadda, BJP President said in a post on X.

"I demand that the Congress Party unconditionally apologise to the Honourable President and the tribal communities of India," he added.

While reacting to President Murmu's address to the joint session of the Parliament, Sonia Gandhi told reporters, "The President was getting very tired by the end...She could hardly speak, poor thing," Sonia Gandhi told reporters."

BJP MP Sambit Patra said that President Murmu is neither tired nor bowed down and called Sonia Gandhi's remarks inappropriate. 

"Sonia Gandhi's comments were totally inappropriate. She said that during her speech the president was very tired. She called her a poor thing. We want to tell it clearly that the honourable President is not a poor thing. India is a republic and the world’s largest Democracy. The first citizen of this Democracy is a woman who comes from a tribal community. That woman from the tribal community cannot be a poor thing. She is empowered and strong. She has been at the helm of many important positions," he said. 

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju also called for an aplogy from the Congress.

"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," Rijiju said. 

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said, "Such an insult of the President was unprecedented. The kind of words Congress MP Sonia Gandhi and his son and LoP Rahul Gandhi used against the President, I cannot even imagine. What else can be expected from them?..."
 
President Murmu's address kickstarted the Budget Session. Emphasising that the government is working on all-round development, President Murmu said that the country has only one aim which is to become a Vikshit Bharat (developed India) and the government is working with a "saturation approach" so nobody is left in the journey.

Murmu said, "My government is working with the Saturation Approach, so nobody is left in the journey of Vikshit Bharat... We have only one aim to become Viksit Bharat."

As the Made in India defence product goes global, the President lauded the government for taking steps towards self-reliance in the defence sector.

"The country has taken several historic steps to protect the country's borders and ensure internal security.... The govt has also taken steps towards self-reliance in the defence sector. From Make in India, we have moved to make for the world..." she said.

After the completion of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla link railway project, President Murmu said that now India will be connected by railway line from Kashmir to Kanyakumari.

"The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link project has been completed and now the country will be connected by railway line from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. India's metro rail network has now crossed the 1000-kilometre milestone. India has the world's third-largest metro network," the President stated. (ANI)