NEW DELHI: Referring to President Droupadi Murmu as 'rashtrapatni' was a "slip of the tongue", Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said on Thursday and accused the BJP of making a "mountain out of a molehill" over the issue.
The term was used only once by mistake and he never intended any disrespect to the president, Chowdhury said as the BJP stalled both houses of Parliament and asked Congress president Sonia Gandhi to apologise to the nation.
"I inadvertently used the word 'rashtrapatni' just once and it was a slip of the tongue. I never meant any disrespect to the president, he told reporters outside Parliament."
"What should I do? I said it and realised I uttered a wrong word. I even looked for mediapersons who I had said this to request them to not focus on it. However, I couldn't find them," he added, a day after the remark.
Some ruling party members, the Congress leader added, are "deliberately trying to make a mountain out of a molehill".
There is no question of an apology, he stated.
In a video message later, he said India's president, be it Brahmin or tribal, is respected by all.
"Yesterday, when we were holding a protest at Vijay Chowk, journalists asked where we wanted to go. I said 'rashtrapatni' only once by mistake. I urged the journalists not to show my video where I committed a mistake. The BJP is creating a row over it now, he said. According to Chowdhury, the BJP does not have anything on the party and is finding "masala" against it. The issue is being blown out of proportion. I do not have the remotest intention of humiliating the highest chair of our country," Chowdhury said.
"Chowdhury's comments were not a slip of tongue. It was a deliberate sexist insult against the President," Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, while making a brief statement in Rajya Sabha, indicating that it was a "deliberate sexist insult".
She said at a time the entire country is rejoicing at the selection of a self-made woman from a tribal background as the President, "for the leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha to call her 'rashtrapatni' in a 'pati-patni' (husband-wife) kind of a level, has insulted the President of India."
The finance minister, who just recovered from Covid-19 infection, demanded an apology from the Congress president.
"I demand an apology from the president of the Congress party who herself is a woman," she said.
Gandhi appointed Chowdhury as the leader in Lok Sabha to speak and he has insulted the President, she said.
"Smt Sonia Gandhi should come before the nation and apologise to the Rashtrapati and also to the entire country for the insult by her own leader in Lok Sabha."
Chouwdhry's comments were not a "slip of the tongue but a deliberate ploy to insult" the President and it is unacceptable, she said.
Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu said nobody is supposed to make any derogatory comments against the President of India.
"Making such comments is bad," he said.
"I don't know why it has happened and it is wrong."
He said President was discussed even in the Constituent Assembly and Rashtrapati was a settled title to be used.
Women BJP MPs, including Union ministers, on Thursday, held a protest in Parliament complex here against Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury for his remark on Murmu.
Holding placards near gate number one of Parliament House, the MPs, including Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Minister of State for Agriculture Shobha Karandlaje, raised slogans seeking an apology from the Leader of the Congress Party in the Lok Sabha.
In the Lok Sabha, Union Minister Smriti Irani accused Chowdhury of disrespecting Murmu by calling her 'Rashtrapatni'.
Irani claimed that Chowdhury has disrespected the entire tribal community, women, the poor and the downtrodden by his remark.
BJP members expressed similar sentiments in the Rajya Sabha and sought an apology from Chowdhury over his "sexist insult" of the President.
"It was a deliberate insult by the Congress leader and the party president should apologise to the country," Sitharaman said outside Parliament House.
Lok Sabha was adjourned till 4 pm on Thursday amid noisy scenes as BJP members strongly protested against Chowdhury.
As soon as the House met at 11 am, BJP members were up on their feet demanding an apology from Congress president Sonia Gandhi over Chowdhury's remark.
"The Congress leader has disrespected the President. The Congress could not tolerate that Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a poor tribal woman the Presidential candidate," Union Minister Smriti Irani said.
Amid the furore, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla adjourned the proceedings till 12 noon.
Similar scenes were witnessed when the House was reassembled.
"Sonia Gandhi should apologise for Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury's remarks," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said amid the din.
Later, BJP member Rajendra Agarwal, who was in the Chair, adjourned the proceedings till 4 pm.
WATCH HERE: