A group of Bharatiya Janata Party MPs on Monday moved a breach of parliamentary privilege notice against Congress MP Sonia Gandhi, alleging use of “derogatory and slanderous words” to describe President Droupadi Murmu as she addressed a joint session of Parliament last week.
The comments, the MPs alleged, were meant to “lower the dignity of the highest office”.
“We write this with great dismay about certain unparliamentary, derogatory, and demeaning remarks recently made by Sonia Gandhi, Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha), against the President of India, which warrant serious consideration and disciplinary action,” the notice said.
“It is with deep concern we highlight this statement… which appears to demean the stature and dignity of the President of India, the highest Constitutional authority of our nation.”
“Such remarks not only undermine the dignity of the office but also violate the sanctity of parliamentary conventions,” the BJP MPs said in their letter to Rajya Sabha Chair Jagdeep Dhankhar.
BJP MPs move Notice for Breach of Parliamentary Privilege, Ethics and Propriety “through usage of derogatory and slanderous words against President of India with the motive to lower the dignity of the highest office” by Rajya Sabha MP Sonia Gandhi. pic.twitter.com/8N695xgPl6
— ANI (@ANI) February 3, 2025
Ms Gandhi’s remark, they argued, “in no way get the benefit of parliamentary privileges”, citing a Supreme Court judgement that said abuse of privilege by an MP was “difficult to digest”.
“Furthermore, even the Parliamentary Ethics and Code of Conduct prescribes that no member utter defamatory words against others… this assumes significance when it concerns the President of India, and that too, when spoken about within the Parliamentary premises.”
The remarks, they further argued, were “a clear manifestation of the elitist and anti-tribal mindset of Ms Gandhi, who is yet to understand the struggle and sensitivity of a tribal poor”.
“Given the gravity of this issue, we humbly urge you to take cognisance and initiate appropriate disciplinary action against Sonia Gandhi,” the BJP MPs wrote, calling for “exemplary action”.
What Ms Gandhi Said
On Friday, after President Murmu addressed Parliament to open the Budget session, Ms Gandhi used the phrase “poor thing” to describe Ms Murmu; she noted the President seemed to be getting very tired, and said, “…by the end she could hardly speak, the poor thing.”
READ | “Poor Thing”: Row Over Sonia Gandhi’s Notes On Prez’s Speech
Ms Murmu’s office reacted sharply to the comment, calling them “unfortunate and entirely avoidable”, in “poor taste”, and said they had “hurt the dignity of the high office”.
READ | “Poor Taste”: Prez’s Office On Sonia Gandhi’s “Poor Thing” Remark
Ms Murmu’s office also dismissed fears about the President’s health.
The remark was condemned by the BJP, with even Prime Minister Narendra Modi lashing out.
On X he said the remarks were “in poor taste (and) entirely avoidable”, and mocked Ms Gandhi (whom he referred to as “a member of a royal family”), saying the remark had also insulted tribal communities.
READ | “Remarks Insult Tribals”: PM Slams Sonia Gandhi’s Prez Comments
BJP chief JP Nadda called the remark “deeply disrespectful” and said the “deliberate use of such words…shows the elitist, anti-poor nature of the Congress. Several other party leaders also chipped in, each slamming Ms Gandhi, who was staunchly defended by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
#WATCH | Delhi: On Sonia Gandhi’s remarks on President Murmu and her speech, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra says, “My mother is a 78-year-old lady, she has simply said that ‘the President read such a long speech and she must have been tired, poor thing’…she fully respects… pic.twitter.com/xNQTydHUAX
— ANI (@ANI) January 31, 2025
Ms Gandhi Vadra accused the BJP, and critics of the Congress, for misinterpreting the remarks, pointing out the veteran leader was 78 years old. There was no ill-intent in the comment, she said.
READ | “My Mother Is 78”: Priyanka Gandhi Defends Sonia Gandhi
“My mother is a 78-year-old lady… she simply said ‘the President read such a long speech and (that) she must have been tired, the poor thing’. She fully respects the President. I think it very unfortunate this kind of thing is twisted by the media. The two are respected people…” she told the press.
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