Nirmala Sitharaman on Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury's remark: 'Deliberate sexist insult'

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday demanded an apology from Sonia Gandhi claiming that the controversial remark by Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury against President Droupadi Murmu was a "deliberate sexist insult".

Talking to ANI at the Parliament Complex, Sitharaman said, "It was a deliberate sexist insult. Sonia Gandhi should apologise to the President of India and the country."

Earlier during her speech in the Rajya Sabha also, Sitharaman had demanded an apology from Sonia Gandhi. The Union Minister's remarks come after Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Chowdhury referred to President Droupadi Murmu as "Rashtrapatni".

Union Minister Smriti Irani also slammed the Congress and demanded an apology from the part for "maliciously" targeting President Droupadi Murmu and said the country knows that the opposition party was "anti-tribal, anti-Dalit and anti-women".

Meanwhile, Chowdhury said that he had made the comment by mistake and that the ruling party was deliberately trying to make a mountain out of a molehill.

Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi told ANI that Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury had "already apologized".

Women MPs, including Sitharaman, also staged a protest in the Parliament complex. Earlier, Congress leader Ajoy Kumar had also alleged that the condition of scheduled castes in India had become 'worse' and that Droupadi Murmu should not be used as an 'adivasi symbol' by the ruling party.

(ANI)

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