'Rashtrapatni' row: Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury says 'felt I am not orphan', calls Sonia Gandhi guardian

The National Commission for Women (NCW) along with Chairpersons and other senior officials of different State Commissions for Women has jointly condemned the objectionable remarks made by Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury against the President of India Droupadi Murmu, calling her 'Rashtrapatni'. NCW stated that the remarks made by Chowdhury are 'derogatory, sexist, and condemnable'.

Earlier in the day, amid backlash over the 'Rashtrapatni' remark, Chowdhury said that he can't even think of insulting President Droupadi Murmu and he will personally meet her and apologise. 

Defending his argument, Chowdhury told Indian Express that his remark was a “slip of the tongue", owing to his unfamiliarity with Hindi. Chowdhury further said that he had gone to the Speaker, asking him to allow him to reply against the allegations. He said that Sonia Gandhi too went to the Speaker and asked that Chowdhury be allowed to reply. 

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Calling it a 'red-letter day' in his Parliament career, Chowdhury also gave a special mention to Sonia Gandhi and said that today he felt he was not an 'orphan' and that he has a guardian in Sonia Gandhi. 

Meanwhile, in a joint statement, Chairperson Rekha Sharma and Chairpersons and representatives of State Commissions of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim, Nagaland, Telangana, Tripura, Odisha, Maharashtra, Manipur, and Rajasthan, who were present at the quarterly meeting in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh have condemned the words used by Chowdhury as an attempt to humiliate the President.

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NCW has sent a notice to Chowdhury to appear before the Commission. The hearing has been scheduled for August 3 at 11:30 am. The Commission has also written to Sonia Gandhi to intervene in the matter and to take appropriate action against Chowdhury for his derogatory remark. 

(With PTI inputs)