'President Murmu was not tired’: Rashtrapati Bhavan counters Sonia Gandhi after 'poor thing' remark

Sonia Gandhi waded into controversy on Friday after a video of the senior Congress leader discussing a speech by President Droupadi Murmu went viral. The Rashtrapati Bhavan has since deemed the remarks ‘unacceptable’ and ‘entirely unavoidable’.

'She was not tired'

 “These leaders have said that the President was getting very tired by the end and she could hardly speak. Rashtrapati Bhavan would like to clarify that nothing could be farther from the truth. The President was not tired at any point. Indeed, she has believed that speaking up for the marginalized communities, for women and farmers, as she was doing during the course of her address, can never be tiring,” read an official statement.

Rashtrapati Bhavan also deemed the comments as being “in poor taste, unfortunate and entirely avoidable”. Meanwhile the ruling BJP claimed that the remarks showed the "elitist, anti-poor and anti-tribal nature of the Congress."

“The President’s office believes it might be the case that these leaders have not acquainted themselves with the idiom and discourse in Indian languages such as Hindi, and thus formed a wrong impression," the Rashtrapati Bhavan statement added.

What had Sonia Gandhi said?

Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were seen discussing the speech after Murmu concluded her address to the Parliament on Friday. Rahul Gandhi was also heard asking his mother if the speech was "boring".

"The poor lady, the President, was getting very tired by the end...she could hardly speak poor thing," Sonia Gandhi was purportedly heard saying in a video doing the rounds on social media.

BJP-Congress war of words

The remarks also prompted an all-out war of words between the BJP and Congress on Friday evening. The ruling party claimed that the comments made by Sonia Gandhi were "deeply disrespectful" and underscored the opposition's "continued disregard" for the dignity of the highest constitutional office. Meanwhile the Congress has hit back saying that every person in India has respect and empathy for President Murmu but the BJP leaders were unable to digest digest Sonia Gandhi's "empathy" for her health.

(With inputs from agencies)