With Sonia Gandhi’s ‘poor thing’ remark about President Murmu, Congress may lose moral high ground, payback time for BJP

For instance, addressing the “Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan” rally in Mhow, Madhya Pradesh, on Monday, Gandhi said, “The BJP says that a second independence has been achieved, that true independence has been achieved. I want to ask you, did you see any poor person at the inauguration of the Ram Temple? Did you see any labourer, any farmer, any backward community member? We have a President who is Adivasi, but the President was not allowed inside the temple. Dalits were not allowed inside, backward communities were not allowed inside. The inauguration of Parliament happened, but the President was not allowed inside. Narendra Modi says you are tribals, but you cannot come inside. This is the reality.”

The most prominent theme of Gandhi’s speeches since the Lok Sabha election campaign has been the accusation that Prime Minister Modi and the BJP government were denigrating the Constitution. Displaying a pocket-sized Constitution with a red cover since then, he argued that the BJP had little respect for the Constitution and wanted to change it.

During the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, addressing a group of tribals in Gujarat’s Dahod district in March 2024, he brought up the matter of Murmu’s absence from the Ram Temple inauguration.

“You all saw the Ram Mandir inauguration, but did you see the President of India there? Why was she not allowed to enter? It was because she was a tribal so she was prohibited … Did you see any poor farmers or labourers? But you saw RSS leaders inside the temple and you saw in attendance the Adanis, Ambanis, and the whole of Bollywood and cricket fraternity. Did you see any poor person?”

The Ram Temple Trust subsequently dismissed Gandhi’s allegations and claimed the President had been invited to the consecration event on January 22, 2024.

And not just Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge too has often accused the BJP government of “humiliating” President Murmu and her predecessor Kovind by not inviting them to the three events.

The BJP’s strident attack following Sonia Gandhi’s remarks aims to disrupt and damage the carefully crafted social justice narrative of the Congress. Gandhi and the Congress have been talking the language of social justice for some time now, from goals such as the equal representation of castes and a nationwide caste census to the removal of the 50 per cent ceiling on reservation.

It is no surprise that the BJP, especially Prime Minister Modi, latched on to the remarks to argue that the Congress insults the poor, OBCs, Dalits, and tribals at every step. After all, the Winter Session of Parliament ended with the Congress and the Opposition up in arms against Union Home Minister Amit Shah over his remarks about B R Ambedkar.

Replying to a debate in Rajya Sabha on the “Glorious Journey of 75 Years of the Constitution of India”, Shah said last month: “Abhi ek fashion ho gaya hai — Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar… Itna naam agar Bhagwan ka lete toh saat janmon tak swarg mil jata (There is a fashion these days — Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar … Had you chanted the name of God these many times, you would have been blessed with heaven in seven births).” He went on to add “we are happy that Ambedkar’s name is being taken” before listing the Congress’s “injustices” towards him.

Now it is payback time for the BJP. The Congress has no option but to defend Sonia and Rahul but many leaders in private feel the remarks were too casual.

Some feel it was all about optics too. All three members of the Gandhi family found themselves in a rare frame and talking about the President’s address in a rather casual manner. While Rahul Gandhi called the President’s address “boring”, Sonia said, “Poor lady, the President was getting very tired by the end. She could hardly speak, poor thing.”

After making those remarks about the President, Rahul Gandhi, in his white T-shirt, and Priyanka engaged in a playful conversation in full media glare. ”Nice saree Priyanka,” the Leader of Opposition told his sister who replied it was their grandmother’s and that all of her nice sarees were from her mother and grandmother.