‘Deeply insulting and sexist’: NCW summons Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury for remarks against President Droupadi Murmu

New Delhi: In more trouble for senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the National Commission for Women on Thursday issued a notice asking him to appear before it in person and tender a written explanation for calling President Droupadi Murmu 'rashtrapatni'.

"Rashtrapatni" controversy | National Commission for Women (NCW) sends a notice to Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury to appear before it in person and to tender a written explanation for his remarks. The hearing is scheduled for August 3rd, at 11:30 AM. — ANI (@ANI) July 28, 2022

The Commission, which scheduled Chowdhury's hearing for next week Wednesday at 11.30 am, also wrote to Congress president Sonia Gandhi to intervene and take appropriate action against Chowdhury for his derogatory remark.

NCW has also written to Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi to intervene in the matter and to take appropriate action against Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury for his derogatory remark. — ANI (@ANI) July 28, 2022

The reference to India's first tribal president as 'rashtrapatni' has drawn a fresh battleline between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Congress. The BJP has demanded an apology from Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

The NCW and 13 state commissions for women issued a joint statement, saying Chowdhury's remark was "deeply insulting, sexist and constitute an attempt to humiliate the Hon'ble President".

"We call upon right-thinking persons to condemn his words in the strongest possible language," read the statement by NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma as well as representatives of 13 state commissions, including that of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, present at the quarterly meeting in Visakhapatnam.