New Delhi, 31 January : Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the Congress on Friday over Sonia Gandhi’s “poor thing” remark about President Droupadi Murmu, calling it an example of the “shahi parivaar’s” (royal family’s) arrogance and a direct insult to India’s 10 crore tribal population.

Addressing a rally in Dwarka, Delhi, PM Modi highlighted that President Murmu, despite her Odia roots, delivered an inspiring speech in Hindi, yet Congress leaders dismissed it as “boring” and “poor thing.”

“It is Congress’s habit to demean individuals from poor, Dalit, OBC, and tribal backgrounds when they rise to prominent positions,” Modi asserted.

The controversy erupted when Sonia Gandhi was caught on camera saying that the President looked exhausted during her speech, calling her a ‘poor thing’, while Rahul Gandhi reportedly found the address ‘boring’.

BJP swiftly condemned the remarks, with IT Cell head Amit Malviya stating that Sonia Gandhi’s words reflected a feudal mindset and Congress’s disregard for the country’s first tribal woman President.

Congress, however, defended itself, with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra arguing that her mother’s words were misinterpreted and taken out of context.

Meanwhile, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate accused BJP and the media of distorting the remark, stating that “poor thing” was merely a phrase of empathy and not an insult.

The war of words continues, adding to the ever-growing political tensions in the run-up to the elections.