Demand for Action Against Rajya Sabha MP Sonia Gandhi and Independent MP Pappu Yadav
Udaipur, February 3 – A delegation of tribal Members of Parliament (MPs) from both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha submitted a memorandum on Monday to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, demanding action against Rajya Sabha MP Sonia Gandhi and Independent MP Pappu Yadav over their alleged remarks regarding President Droupadi Murmu. The MPs have strongly condemned these statements, terming them an insult not only to the President but also to the entire tribal community of India.
The delegation was led by senior MP Faggan Singh Kulaste and included Udaipur MP Mannalal Rawat, along with tribal MPs from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Telangana, Nagaland, Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, West Bengal, and other states.
Allegations of Insult Against President Murmu
The tribal MPs alleged that Sonia Gandhi and Pappu Yadav made objectionable and disrespectful remarks about President Droupadi Murmu, thereby demeaning the tribal community.
MP Mannalal Rawat criticized the Congress party, stating:
“The Congress party has repeatedly insulted the first tribal President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu. Their anti-tribal mindset is deeply ingrained, and the nation must question why Congress harbors such hatred towards tribal communities. Is it because Prime Minister Narendra Modi ensured that a talented tribal woman became the First Citizen of India?”
He further added that by disrespecting the President, the Congress party and its INDI alliance have insulted the Constitution, the people of India, and the entire tribal population.
Statements by Congress Leaders Under Scrutiny
The memorandum highlighted several past instances where Congress leaders allegedly disrespected President Murmu, including:
- On the first day of the 2025 Budget Session, Sonia Gandhi mocked the President, saying she was a “poor woman who was exhausted by the end of her speech.”
- Rahul Gandhi called the President’s speech boring, trivializing a constitutional address.
- Pappu Yadav dismissed the President’s speech as a ‘love letter’.
- In 2025, Rahul Gandhi reportedly stated that President Murmu was not allowed inside the Ram Temple because she is a tribal, despite the fact that she had visited the temple in 2024 and participated in the Sarayu Aarti.
- In 2024, during a joint session of Parliament on Constitution Day, Rahul Gandhi refused to greet President Murmu, breaking established parliamentary protocol.
- In 2022, Congress leader Ajay Kumar said that Droupadi Murmu represents a “bad vision of India” and that she should not be seen as an icon of tribal representation.
- In 2022, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury referred to President Murmu as “Rashtrapatni” (a derogatory term instead of Rashtrapati), sparking a nationwide controversy.
- In West Bengal, state minister Akhil Giri made an offensive remark about the President’s appearance, stating, “We respect the office of the President, but look at how she looks.”
The delegation of tribal MPs emphasized that these remarks reflect a deep-seated prejudice against tribals within Congress leadership and demonstrate a pattern of continuous disrespect towards the highest constitutional office.
Call for Strict Action
MP Mannalal Rawat, along with other tribal leaders, demanded strict action against Sonia Gandhi, Pappu Yadav, and other Congress leaders who have allegedly insulted President Murmu.
“Congress and the INDI alliance must clarify whether they oppose the very idea of a tribal woman being the President of India. Their repeated insults and derogatory statements against her are unacceptable and must be condemned universally,” said Rawat.
The memorandum calls for parliamentary action against those responsible for these remarks and urges all political parties to uphold the dignity of the President of India.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.
