“Poor Thing": What Is The Sonia Gandhi vs Government Controversy
A remark made by senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi about President Droupadi Murmu has ignited a political storm, with the government strongly condemning what it sees as an attack on the dignity of the high office.
The controversy erupted when Mrs Gandhi, responding to a journalist’s query outside Parliament following the President’s address during the inauguration of Budget session, said, “The President was getting very tired by the end. She could hardly speak, poor thing.” Her comment, made in the presence of her children and Lok Sabha MPs Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, quickly became the subject of intense criticism.
Rahul Gandhi, who was standing alongside her, could be heard assisting his mother in responding to the media by suggesting phrases such as “boring? No comments? Repeating the same thing again and again?”
The President’s office swiftly issued a strong rebuttal, describing the remarks as unacceptable and disrespectful to the dignity of the constitutional position.
“Rashtrapati Bhavan would like to clarify that nothing could be farther from the truth. The President was not tired at any point. Indeed, she believes that speaking up for the marginalised communities, for women and farmers, as she was doing during the course of her address, can never be tiring,” the statement read. It also suggested that the opposition leaders may have misunderstood the nuances of discourse in Indian languages, leading to what it called a “wrong impression.” The statement concluded by calling the comments “unfortunate and entirely avoidable.”
As criticism mounted, Priyanka Gandhi came to her mother’s defence, stating that there was no ill intent behind the remarks. “My mother is a 78-year-old lady. She simply said that ‘the President read such a long speech and she must have been tired, poor thing.’ She fully respects the President of India,” Priyanka Gandhi said. She also accused the media of twisting the comment and called out the ruling party for politicising the issue. “They both are two respected people and older than us. She means no disrespect. BJP should first apologise for pushing into a gorge.”
However, the ruling BJP was quick to seize on the controversy. BJP president JP Nadda strongly condemned Sonia Gandhi’s remarks, calling them “deeply disrespectful.”
“Former Congress President Smt Sonia Gandhi’s use of the phrase ‘poor thing’ to refer to the President is deeply disrespectful and underscores the opposition’s continued disregard for the dignity of the highest constitutional office. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident,” Nadda posted on X.
He further alleged that the Congress party was mocking the empowerment of women and backward communities under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. “While the President was highlighting the government’s achievements, the opposition—driven by its feudal mindset—chose instead to mock the empowerment of backward classes and women,” he said.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju also joined the attack, demanding an apology from Sonia Gandhi. “I condemn the comments made by Sonia Gandhi and other opposition leaders. Our President, a tribal woman, is not weak… Droupadi Murmu has worked extensively for the country and society, and they cannot even imagine the kind of work she has done… They should apologise to her.”
