‘Don’t Talk To Me’: Sonia Gandhi Indulges In Word War With Smriti Irani

In an exclusive report, Republic TV learned that after Lok Sabha adjourned on Thursday due to the uproar over Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s remarks, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Union Minister Smriti Irani had a heated exchange. According to sources, Gandhi approached Rama Devi, who presided over the session, to discuss the Leader of the Opposition’s sexist remark. Smriti Irani, who was standing nearby at the time, stepped in. ‘Sonia Gandhi was quite aggressive and harsh while talking to Smriti Irani, she waved her finger at Smriti Irani and said you don’t talk to me,’ an MP told Republic TV.

The following is an alleged excerpt from the heated exchange:

Sonia Gandhi: Don’t talk to me.
Smriti Irani: Why should I keep mum?
Sonia: You (BJP) cannot name me.
Smriti Irani: Why should not we (name you)?

According to sources, BJP MPs also arrived and began chanting ‘Sonia Gandhi Maafi Mango’ (Sonia Gandhi apologise). Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told the media in response to this incident, ‘Sonia Gandhi herself approached one of her senior members, Rama Devi, to inquire, and when one of our members approached her, she said, ‘You don’t talk to me.’ Putting a member of Parliament down in the House demonstrates that instead of remorse from the Congress party’s highest leader, we find greater and greater aggression’.

Smriti Irani criticises Sonia Gandhi
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s use of the term ‘Rashtrapatni’ to refer to President Droupadi Murmu sparked outrage, with Union Minister Smriti Irani raising the issue in Lok Sabha. Irani launched a scathing attack on Congress, recalling that various leaders of the Sonia Gandhi-led party had repeatedly insulted Murmu since her candidacy for President was announced. During a raucous protest by BJP MPs in the House, she addressed Sonia Gandhi, who was present, directly and demanded an apology.

According to Smriti Irani, ‘the honour for a tribal woman is too much for Congress to bear. Congress is unable to comprehend how a poor family’s daughter became President’. A journalist interrupted that Congress leader and said, ‘You’re insulting the President of the United States’.  Even so, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury refused to apologise for insulting Droupadi Murmu. ‘Congress is anti-tribal, anti-woman, anti-poor, and now insults the Supreme Commander of the United States Armed Forces.’