Rashtrapatni remark row: `No point in getting lost in maze of gender`, says Congress MP Manish Tewari

A political slugfest erupted after Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury referred to President Droupadi Murmu as `rashtrapatni`, leading to BJP targeting the grand old party over hurling a `deliberate sexist insult`.

New Delhi: As the BJP upped its attack on the grand old party over Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury's "rashtrapatni" remark for President Droupadi Murmu, senior Congress leader Manish Tewari Friday (July 29) said anyone occupying a constitutional office is equally honourable and there is no point in "getting lost in the maze of gender". In a cryptic tweet, Tewari wrote, "Lady or gentleman, anyone occupying a constitutional office is equally Hon'ble. Respect has to be given & should be accorded to that institution.” 

"Any person on a particular position becomes analogous to or with that office. No point in getting lost in the maze of gender," Congress' Anandpur Sahib MP added. 

On Thursday, a row erupted after Chowdhury referred to Murmu as 'rashtrapatni' while talking to mediapersons, leading to BJP targeting the Congress over hurling a "deliberate sexist insult". BJP MPs protested against the remark and created uproar in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Talking to reporters outside Parliament, Chowdhury said referring to Murmu as 'rashtrapatni' was a "slip of the tongue" and accused the BJP of making a "mountain out of a molehill" over the issue. 

However, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Friday asserted that the act was not a "slip of tongue". Earlier, Union Minister Smriti Irani had attacked MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury for the controversial comment and sought an apology. She had also hit out at Sonia Gandhi alleging that the Congress chief "sanctioned the humiliation" of President Murmu. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had also demanded an apology from Sonia Gandhi in Rajya Sabha over the remark.

(With agency inputs)