'In poor taste': Rashtrapati Bhavan responds to Sonia Gandhi's remark on President Murmu speech

President Droupadi Murmu addressed a joint session of the Parliament on Friday.

The Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday reacted to Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's comment on President Droupadi  Murmu being tired during her speech in Parliament.

“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. 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. In any case, such comments are in poor taste, unfortunate and entirely avoidable,” the statement read.

After  Murmu's address, Sonia Gandhi said the President was getting tired.

"The President was getting very tired by the end...She could hardly speak, poor thing..." said Gandhi.

The BJP also slammed Gandhi's statement as a “derogatory comment". PM Modi said in a post on X (formerly Twitter), “Today’s address by Rashtrapati Ji to both Houses of Parliament was a resonant outline of our nation’s path toward building a Viksit Bharat. She highlighted initiatives across sectors and underscored the importance of all-around as well as futuristic development."

He said also said her address encapsulated the vision for an India where youth have the best opportunities to flourish. "The address also included inspiring roadmaps for achieving the goals we have set with a spirit of unity and determination," said the PM.

The budget session of Parliament commenced on Friday with President Murmu's address to a joint sitting of both Houses. In her speech, Murmu emphasised that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government is working on all-round development. However, the president's speech faced backlash from the opposition parties.

Congress reacts 

" I think the President of India and I live in two different countries. The President's view of the country she governs over and the country I live in seems to have stark differences. The President seems to celebrate success which I don't deny is there but glossed over the harsh realities of daily life in India," Congress MP Karti Chidambaram told ANI.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi  Vadara said Sonia did not mean any disrespect.

"My mother is 78 yr old, she didn't mean any disrespect, she has utmost respect for the president," Gandhi told reporters.