Under constant blistering attack from the BJP over his ‘Rashtrapatni’ remark on President Droupadi Murmu, Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Friday tendered unqualified apology to President Murmu. Seeking apology for his slip-of-the-tongue remark, Chowdhury wrote a letter to President Murmu.
In his letter, Chowdhury said that his remark on her was a “slip of the tongue” and he had mistakenly used an incorrect word for her. “I am writing to express my regret for having mistakenly used an incorrect word to describe the position you hold. I assure you that it was a slip of the tongue,” Chowdhury said in his letter. “I apologise and request you to accept the same,” he further added. His apology came a day after he said that he would not apologise as he had mistakenly referred to President Murmu as Rashtrapatni.
Chowdhury on Thursday had said, “I can’t even think of insulting the President. It was just a mistake. If the President felt bad, I will personally meet her and apologise. They can hang me if they want. I am ready to get punished but why is she (Sonia Gandhi) being dragged in this?”
Meanwhile, in another day of showdown between the Treasury and the Opposition benches over Chowdhury’s ‘Rashtrapatni’ remark on President Murmu, both houses of Parliament on Friday were adjourned.
The Lok Sabha on Friday resumed to a stormy start as Union Minister Smriti Irani took to the floor of the house and accused the Congress of “demeaning” the President. She demanded an apology from the Congress over Chowdhury’s ‘Rashtrapatni’ remark.
Chowdhury did not waste time and apologised, saying that remark was merely a slip of the tongue and the BJP was “making a mountain out of a molehill”. “The way Sonia Gandhi was targeted in the Parliament yesterday, the government must issue an apology. I am at the centre of this controversy. But the BJP is attacking Sonia Gandhi,” said Chowdhury. He accused the BJP of deflecting attention from crucial issues like price rise, the Agnipath scheme and unemployment, which the Opposition wanted discuss in Parliament.
Earlier in the day, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was seen standing with fellow MPs with placards on the Parliament premises.