A massive political war of words erupted over Congress MP AR Chowdhury’s ‘Rashtrapatni’ remarks, as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs demanded an apology from Congress President Sonia Gandhi even as her party leaders slammed the BJP MPs for the ‘assault’ on the Congress chief.

“I accepted my mistake… What do they say about Sonia Gandhi during polls? About Shashi Tharoor’s wife? About Renuka Chowdhury? I sought time from President, might get an appointment the day after tomorrow, I’ll speak with her personally,” said AR Chowdhury.

Party leader Gaurav Gogoi claimed that the ‘brutal heckling, verbal assault and physical intimidation of one of the most dignified ladies of Indian politics Smt. Sonia Gandhi inside by the BJP was traumatic and sickening’. “That this assault by the BJP MPs took place inside the Parliament reflected the mentality of a mob,” he said.

It was a deliberate sexist insult: FM Sitharaman on ‘Rashtrapatni’ remarks

Party leader Milind Deora said that this was not the first time Gandhi was targetted inside and outside the Parliament. “I have known Sonia Gandhi ji years before she entered politics. I have never seen her being rude or impolite, even when provoked.This is not the first time that she has been targeted personally & of late, unjustly, both inside & outside Parliament. She has & will always endure,” he said.

Meanwhile, the BJP escalated the attack against the Congress party and alleged that Chowdhury’s comments were a ‘deliberate and sexist’ insult. “It was a deliberate sexist insult. Sonia Gandhi should apologise to the President of India and the country,” said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.