Rashtrapatni row: Did Sonia Gandhi actually tell Smriti Irani ‘don’t’ talk to me’? What exactly happened in Lok Sabha
Rashtrapatni row: Did Sonia Gandhi actually tell Smriti Irani ‘don’t’ talk to me’? What exactly happened in Lok Sabha
Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s ‘Rashtrapatni’ gaffe snowballed into a huge political fight in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, which saw Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Smriti Irani taking on Congress president Sonia Gandhi and demanding that she apologise on behalf of her party’s disrespect to the President Droupadi Murmu.
एकआदिवासी महिला द्रौपदी मुर्मू जी के राष्ट्रपति पद का उम्मीदवार बनते ही कांग्रेस के नेताओं ने उन्हें कठपुतली, अशुभ और अमंगल का प्रतीक कहा और कल कांग्रेस के नेता सदन ने उन्हें राष्ट्रपत्नी कहा।
सोनिया गांधी और कांग्रेस के नेताओं को इसके लिए माफी मांगनी चाहिए: श्रीमती @smritiirani pic.twitter.com/D1Vr0dkj8U
— BJP (@BJP4India) July 28, 2022
Lok Sabha descended into chaos on Thursday morning and a verbal duel took place between the two heavyweights with Sonia Gandhi reportedly telling Irani, “Don’t talk to me.”
Gandhi’s comment further sparked a furore, with some BJP lawmakers even raising their voices, with the Union minister being heard asking, as per an Indian Express report, “How can you talk to me like this and that, she (Sonia Gandhi) is intimidating us.”
Since then, multiple versions have surfaced since the alleged showdown. We give you the lowdown on what happened.
The Congress’ version
The Congress has accused the BJP MPs of subjecting Sonia Gandhi to “brutal heckling, verbal assault and physical intimidation,” and has demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Congress’ version says that as Lok Sabha adjourned soon after 12 noon, Gandhi walked across to the Treasury benches and sought to know from BJP member Rama Devi why she was dragged into the issue.
As per reports, Gandhi could be heard telling Rama Devi that “Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has already apologised. What is my fault?”
Hearing this, Smriti Irani allegedly interrupted the conversation. The Congress president at first tried to ignore Irani’s protestations, but soon was seen gesturing towards the minister and speaking angrily.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, “Atrocious and outrageous behaviour by Union Minister Smriti Irani in the Lok Sabha today! But will she be pulled up by the Speaker? Are rules only meant for the Opposition?”
Congress’ deputy leader in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi told the media outside Parliament that it was the BJP that raised objectionable slogans against Sonia Gandhi.
“The BJP thought Sonia Gandhi would get scared and leave, but being the fearless leader she is, she went up to those women MPs and wanted to speak to them in a very dignified way but that was met with very abhorrent behaviour from BJP MPs and we saw that women and male MPs and ministers surrounded her and created an atmosphere where she could have been shoved and could have been hurt,” Gogoi was quoted as telling news agency PTI.
“Women and male MPs of the BJP made objectionable remarks against Sonia Gandhi and their behaviour was objectionable as well,” he alleged.
The brutal heckling, verbal assault and physical intimidation of one of the most dignified ladies of Indian politics Smt. Sonia Gandhi inside by the BJP was traumatic and sickening. That this assault by the BJP MPs took place inside the Parliament reflected the mentality of a mob
— Gaurav Gogoi (@GauravGogoiAsm) July 28, 2022
Congress MP Jyotsna Mahant alleged that Union Minister Irani disrespected Gandhi and spoke with her while pointing a finger at her.
“This is shameful. The BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi must apologise for this behaviour,” she said.
What went down – the BJP’s account
The BJP MPs, however, don’t agree with the Congress on the events that took place in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.
BJP leader Rama Devi, whom Sonia Gandhi reportedly approached when she walked across the house, said Sonia Gandhi spoke to Smriti Irani angrily, wagging her finger.
She said as per an IndiaToday report, “Sonia Gandhi came towards me in a furious mood. I told her that she should talk to her party worker. I told her that minister of her party will tell her what he had said. After this she (Sonia Gandhi) told Smriti Irani not to talk to her.”
“Sonia ji came to me. Sonia ji told Smriti ji – I am not speaking to you. You don't speak to me. Smriti ji said, 'Why? Why shouldn't we speak? You have come to speak to Rama ji?' Sonia ji said - I have come to speak to her,” Rama Devi said.
Giving her version of the account, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said: “When Sonia Gandhi talked to our BJP MPs, one of our MPs came and said ‘what’s happening, what are you talking about…?’ To this, Gandhi almost reacted in a threatening tone by saying ‘you don’t talk to me’. What kind of way is it to talk to our MP in a threatening way?”
#WATCH | Some of our Lok Sabha MPs felt threatened when Sonia Gandhi came up to our senior leader Rama Devi to find out what was happening during which, one of our members approached there & she (Sonia Gandhi) said "You don't talk to me": Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman pic.twitter.com/WxFnT2LTvk
— ANI (@ANI) July 28, 2022
However, Congress’ Karti Chidambaram and Supriya Shrinate immediately refuted this account, saying the “BJP was manufacturing a controversy”.
The version of events as narrated by @nsitharaman is totally false from what actually happened in the Lok Sabha. She wasn't there,but I was. @BJP4India is manufacturing a controversy. https://t.co/cQu8m6FFIR
— Karti P Chidambaram (@KartiPC) July 28, 2022
Smriti Irani’s behaviour with Congress president smacks of arrogance. How dare she heckle and physically intimidate?
And Nirmala Ji, feel sorry for you - having to lie and defend the indefensible behaviour.
Smriti Irani answer on the ‘illegal bar scam’ #स्मृति_ईरानी_शर्म_करो https://t.co/VCPgEp5P3k
— Supriya Shrinate (@SupriyaShrinate) July 28, 2022
What do other leaders have to say
Several non-Congress Opposition leaders have rallied behind Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.
Trinamool Congress’ (TMC) Mahua Moitra said the 75-year-old Congress leader was “encircled and heckled pack-wolf style”.
Was in Lok Sabha when 75 year old lady senior leader encircled & heckled pack-wolf style when all she did was walk over & speak (masked) to another senior lady panel chairperson.
Disgusted to read BJP lies & false version in press.
— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) July 28, 2022
Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also referred to the incident involving Sonia Gandhi and said “this is shameful and bully behaviour of BJP MPs”.
“Has to be condemned by one and all, this hooliganism that was led by a hysterical minister who herself is facing charges of illegal operations in Goa, besides fake education affidavits should be called out,” she said.
Nationalist Congress Party's (NCP) Supriya Sule, one of the MPs who led away Congress chief Sonia Gandhi after her heated exchange with Union Minister Smriti Irani, said she had arrived late on the scene and was unaware of what transpired between the two leaders.
In an NDTV report, she said, “Smriti Irani said Sonia Gandhi threatened her? To be honest, I went much later, I was not there when this whole thing happened. When I went Sonia-ji was not talking to anyone. A lot of MPs were there. Lot of commotion. Emotions were running high.”
“Sonia-ji mentioned to me that she went to speak to Rama Devi and she had a chat and then there was too much commotion. So nobody really knows what happened,” she added.
She further added, “Was shocked to hear unnecessary sloganeering against Mrs Gandhi after house was adjourned. We all should take responsibility of the house and maintain its dignity and decorum.”
With inputs from agencies
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