'Rashtrapatni' row: BJP rejects Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury's defence, calls him ‘anti-national, anti-tribal’

New Delhi: Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Friday slammed Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury for his 'rashtrapatni' remark made against President Droupadi Murmu and called him an anti-national and anti-tribal person.

"He is an anti-national and anti-tribal person. How can he trivialise this issue by saying that he can go to the President and seek an apology? Is it that simple? It is condemnable," said Rijiju.

He is an anti-national and anti-tribal person. And how can he trivialise this issue by saying that he can go to the President and seek an apology? Is it that simple? It is condemnable: Union Minister Kiren Rijiju

— ANI (@ANI) July 29, 2022

The minister said that Chowdhury's defence that it was a slip of tongue was not true and that the use of the term 'rashtrapatni' was deliberate. "It was not a slip of tongue. If you watch the clip, Adhir clearly referred to President Murmu as 'Rashtrapati' twice, then he corrected himself to say 'Rashtrapatni.' Such matters should not be taken lightly," he added.

It was not a slip of tongue. If you watch the clip, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury clearly (referred to President Murmu as) 'Rashtrapati' twice, then he corrected himself to say 'Rashtrapatni.' Such matters should not be taken lightly: Union Minister Kiren Rijiju pic.twitter.com/ieEHe3Ytoi — ANI (@ANI) July 29, 2022

Chowdhury's 'rashtrapatni' remark snowballed into a major political row on Thursday with the BJP accusing the Opposition party of insulting President Murmu and demanding that Congress chief Sonia Gandhi should apologise to the nation.

In his defence, Chowdhury, who is the leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha, said he never intended to disrespect the President and his 'rashtrapatni' remark was a "slip of the tongue". He accused the BJP of making a "mountain out of a molehill" over the issue.

In a video message later, Chowdhury said India's President, be it Brahmin or tribal, is respected by all.

"Yesterday, when we were holding a protest at Vijay Chowk, journalists asked where we wanted to go. I said 'rashtrapatni' only once by mistake. I urged the journalists not to show my video where I committed a mistake. The BJP is creating a row over it now," he said.

According to Chowdhury, the BJP does not have anything on the Congress and is finding "masala" against it.

"The issue is being blown out of proportion... I do not have the remotest intention of humiliating the highest chair of our country," Chowdhury had said.

His remark, however, drew flak from all quarters including the National Commission for Women and 12 state commissions for women who criticised the Congress leader for referring to President Murmu as 'rashtrapatni' and said the remark was deeply insulting and sexist.

With inputs from agencies

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