New Delhi, Jan 31 (IANS): Rashtrapati Bhavan has strongly responded to Congress MP Sonia Gandhi’s remark referring to President Droupadi Murmu as a "poor thing".

In a statement, Rashtrapati Bhavan clarified that the President was not fatigued at any point during her address to the joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on Friday.

“Nothing could be farther from the truth. The President was not tired at any point. Indeed, she believes that speaking up for marginalized communities, women, and farmers, as she was doing in her address, can never be tiring,” the statement read.

The President’s office also suggested that some political leaders might have misunderstood the nuances of Indian languages like Hindi, leading to an incorrect impression. "In any case, such comments are in poor taste, unfortunate, and entirely avoidable," the statement added.

Furthermore, Rashtrapati Bhavan condemned statements from prominent Congress leaders that allegedly demeaned the dignity of the President's office. These leaders had claimed that President Murmu appeared exhausted by the end of her speech and could hardly speak.

The controversy erupted when Sonia Gandhi, a veteran Congress leader and former party president, made the remark while speaking to reporters outside Parliament. Asked for her reaction to the President’s address, she responded, "The President was getting very tired by the end. She could hardly speak, poor thing."

She was accompanied by Congress MPs Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Rahul Gandhi dismissed the President’s speech as "boring," adding, "No comments. Repeating the same thing again and again."

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a sharp attack on the Gandhis, calling their remarks an insult to the dignity of the President and reflective of Congress’ "feudal mindset".

BJP President and Union Minister J.P. Nadda condemned Sonia Gandhi’s comment, stating, "I and every BJP Karyakarta STRONGLY CONDEMN the usage of the phrase 'poor thing' by Smt. Sonia Gandhi for the Honourable President of India, Droupadi Murmu Ji. The deliberate usage of such words exposes the elitist, anti-poor, and anti-tribal mindset of the Congress Party."

Nadda also demanded an unconditional apology from the Congress party, asserting, "I demand that the Congress Party unreservedly apologise to the Honourable President and the tribal communities of India."