"Highest office must always receive respect it deserves": VP Radhakrishnan over Prez Murmu's conference row

New Delhi [India], March 7 (ANI): Vice President C P Radhakrishnan on Saturday criticised the lapse in arrangements during President Droupadi Murmu's visit to West Bengal, calling it "unfortunate." He stressed that the country's highest constitutional office must always receive the dignity, protocol and respect it deserves.
In a post on X, VP said, "The office of the President is the highest constitutional office of our Republic and must always receive the dignity, protocol and respect it deserves. Any lapse in arrangements befitting her constitutional position that happened in West Bengal today is unfortunate. The sanctity of the office of the President must always be maintained, and due respect accorded to the highest office of the nation."

The office of the Hon’ble President is the highest constitutional office of our Republic and must always receive the dignity, protocol and respect it deserves.

Any lapse in arrangements befitting her constitutional position that happened in West Bengal today is unfortunate.

The…

— Vice-President of India (@VPIndia) March 7, 2026

Bharatiya Janata Party National President Nitin Nabin also criticised the state government, calling the incident "deeply shameful and unacceptable."

What happened today is deeply shameful and unacceptable. The insult to the Hon’ble President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu Ji, reflects the utter disregard of the TMC government for our constitutional institutions.

It is even more disturbing that such insensitivity has been… https://t.co/DdJfNgAQwk

— Nitin Nabin (@NitinNabin) March 7, 2026

"What happened today is deeply shameful and unacceptable. The insult to the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, reflects the utter disregard of the TMC government for our constitutional institutions. It is even more disturbing that such insensitivity has been shown towards the sentiments of the tribal community. Rashtrapati herself comes from a proud tribal background, and the anguish she expressed has caused deep pain to all of us. The office of the President stands above party politics, and the utter disregard towards the rich Santal cultural heritage will not be forgotten. The people of India expect accountability and respect for both the Constitution and the tribal communities of our country," he wrote on X.
Meanwhile, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant expressed sadness over the incident and said it had hurt the sentiments of people across the country.

Deeply saddened by the unfortunate incident in West Bengal that has caused anguish to Hon’ble Rashtrapati Ji, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, who herself represents the aspirations and pride of our tribal communities.

The pain expressed by Rashtrapati Ji has deeply hurt the sentiments of… pic.twitter.com/P5KkQRYj2i

— Dr. Pramod Sawant (@DrPramodPSawant) March 7, 2026

"Deeply saddened by the unfortunate incident in West Bengal that has caused anguish to Rashtrapati, Droupadi Murmu, who herself represents the aspirations and pride of our tribal communities. The pain expressed by Rashtrapati Ji has deeply hurt the sentiments of people across the country who believe in democracy, constitutional values, and the empowerment of tribal society. It is extremely unfortunate that the TMC Government in West Bengal has allowed a situation that reflects such disregard towards the dignity of the President of India. Equally concerning is the casual treatment of a matter as important as the rich and revered Santal culture. The office of the President stands above politics and commands the highest respect in our democracy. Its sanctity must be upheld at all times. I sincerely hope better sense prevails and that such incidents are never repeated," Sawant wrote on X.
The remarks came after President Droupadi Murmu earlier in the day voiced disappointment over the arrangements made for the 9th International Santal Conference, questioning the choice of venue and expressing sadness that many members of the Santal community were unable to attend the event.
She also remarked on the absence of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. (ANI)