Modi, Sonia Remarks Ignite Political Storm as Parliament’s Budget Session Begins
The opening of Parliament’s Budget session on Friday was marked by sharp political confrontations, stemming from remarks by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Hindi and Congress leader Sonia Gandhi in English.
During the morning, Prime Minister Modi took a veiled jab at the opposition, suggesting that attempts to create disruptions have been a consistent pattern before every session since 2014. He remarked,
“शायद 2014 से लेकर अब तक, यह पहला संसद का सत्र है कि जिसके एक-दो दिन पहले कोई विदेशी चिंगारी नहीं पकड़ी गई है, विदेश में से आग लगाने की कोशिश नहीं हुई है… [Perhaps since 2014, this is the first session of Parliament where no foreign attempt to stoke a fire has surfaced a day or two before it began],” he said.
Responding to questions about Modi’s comments, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi dismissed them, stating, “He never talks about people’s issues, does not address them. We saw in the last session, that he did not [allow] debate. So, he will say such things.”
Later, a comment by Sonia Gandhi added fuel to the political fire. Following President Droupadi Murmu’s address to Parliament, Sonia, responding to reporters, remarked that the President seemed “very tired by the end” of her speech and added, “Poor thing.”
While the phrase is commonly used to express sympathy in English, the BJP fiercely criticized it, interpreting it as an insult to the President.
BJP president J.P. Nadda strongly condemned Sonia’s remarks, calling them “elitist, anti-poor, and anti-tribal.” He posted on X (formerly Twitter),
“Every @BJP4India Karyakarta and I STRONGLY CONDEMN the usage of the phrase ‘poor thing’ by Smt. Sonia Gandhi for Honourable President of India, Droupadi Murmu Ji. The deliberate usage of such words shows the elitist, anti-poor, and anti-tribal nature of the Congress Party. I demand that the Congress Party unconditionally apologize to the Honourable President and the tribal communities of India.”
Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan described the comment as an “unprecedented insult” to the President.
“What else can one expect from Congress? The kind of language used by Sonia Gandhi and her son, Rahul Gandhi, against the President is unimaginable,” he said.
BJP leaders also linked the controversy to the Congress’s ideological leanings. Bengal BJP leader Sukanta Majumdar claimed,
“Ever since Rahul Gandhi took over, his advisors have been extreme Leftists from JNU. This is why their policies and statements are consistently insulting toward constitutional posts. A tribal woman who has risen to become India’s First Citizen is being disrespected by such comments. This is typical of the Congress.”
Amit Malviya, head of the BJP IT cell, alleged a pattern of disrespect from the Congress.
“Sonia Gandhi referring to the President as a ‘poor thing’ demeans the high office and reflects her feudal mindset. This is not the first time the Congress has shown disregard for the first tribal woman to hold the country’s highest constitutional position. Rahul Gandhi, who frequently flaunts the Constitution, has not even made a courtesy visit to the President. The Congress has no respect for Dr. Ambedkar’s Constitution or marginalized communities such as Dalits, OBCs, and Tribals. This attitude starts at the top.”
BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia added,
“Sonia Gandhi’s insult of India’s first tribal woman President, Her Excellency Droupadi Murmu Ji, exposes the Congress’s feudal and elitist mindset. Such a statement is an insult to every Indian, every tribal, and every woman. This country will not tolerate such gutter politics.”
The controversy further widened the gulf between the ruling BJP and the Congress as political tensions simmered at the start of the Budget session.