Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on 'Rashtrapatni' remark: 'I felt I am not an orphan…I have a guardian in Sonia Gandhi'
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the opposition party's Lok Sabha leader, tells The Indian Express his 'Rashtrapatni' remark was a slip of tongue, and the BJP was using it to "create a fuss only to divert people's attention from issues such as back-breaking price-rise".
On a day his remark, calling President Droupadi Murmu as “Rashtrapatni”, drew fresh battle line between the BJP and the Congress, the opposition party’s Lok Sabha leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury tells MANOJ C.G. that it was a slip of tongue, and the ruling party is using it to “create a fuss only to divert people’s attention from issues such as back-breaking price-rise”. Excerpts:
You were in the eye of the storm today over your ‘Rashtrapatni’ remark for President Droupadi Murmu. Why did you say that?
The BJP has proved itself as a party that can make a mountain out of a molehill. On Wednesday, we had taken a march to Rashtrapati Bhavan, knowing well that we will be prevented from proceeding. For the last over one week, we have been seeking a discussion in Parliament over price-rise, ballooning unemployment, the Agnipath scheme, and misuse of investigative agencies to subjugate opposition parties.
Of these, we were focusing on price-rise. But the government was bent on not allowing a discussion. Meanwhile, our party president Sonia Gandhi was summoned again and again by the ED to harass her and malign the Congress. Naturally we could not remain a mute spectator to this brutal assault on Congress. So we have been fighting for justice — justice for the common people, who are suffering from exorbitant price-rise, and justice for her (Sonia).
While police stopped us at Vijay Chowk, I spoke to a mediaperson — he asked me what our strategy was. I said our agenda was to meet Rashtrapati-ji. I said Rashtrapati twice and the third time I uttered Rashtrapatni. It was a slip of tongue. I realised I had used the wrong word and looked for the reporter (but) could not find him. We were all detained a few minutes later.
Rating: 5