By Rohini Chatterji
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, a member of Parliament and the Congress party, has been summoned by the National Commission for Women (NCW) for his 'Rashtrapatni' remark on President Droupadi Murmu. Chowdhury also faces an FIR registered in Madhya Pradesh by BJP workers.
The NCW condemned Chowdhury's remarks and issued a statement on Twitter saying, "Chairperson @sharmarekha and Chairpersons & senior officials of State Commissions for Women present at the quarterly meeting in Vishakhapatnam today jointly condemned the derogatory remark made by MP Shri Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury against the Hon'ble President of India."
The statutory body also said that it has summoned Chowdhury to appear before them on August 3 and explain his remark in writing. "NCW has also written to Smt Sonia Gandhi to take appropriate action against him for his derogatory remark," the NCW said.
In Madhya Pradesh, the police in the Dindori district said that BJP workers demanded action against Chowdhury and hence they lodged an FIR against the Congress leader. According to The Indian Express, Chowdhury has been charged under Sections 153 (B) of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with "assertions prejudicial to national integration," and 505 (A), which deals with "statements conducive to public mischief."
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Thursday saw a massive uproar in the Parliament and a war of words between union minister Smriti Irani and Congress president Sonia Gandhi over Chowdhury's remarks. He had also apologised for it by saying, "Rashtrapatni slipped out, that was my mistake. I am Bengali, not a Hindi-speaking person, so it slipped out. I never intended any insult to the country's highest post, not in my wildest dreams can I think of doing so."
Chowdhury had addressed newly elected President Murmu as 'Rashtrapatni' during a television interview triggering the uproar.
However, the apology did not pacify the BJP, as they demanded action against Chowdhury. Irani termed Chowdhury's remark 'anti-tribals', 'anti-women' and 'anti-poor' over Chowdhury's 'Rashtrapatni' remark.
