'Don't talk to me': Sonia Gandhi indulges in war of words with Smriti Irani; details here

In an exclusive scoop, Republic TV learnt that a heated exchange took place between Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Union Minister Smriti Irani after Lok Sabha was adjourned on Thursday following the uproar over Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury's remarks. As per sources, Gandhi approached Rama Devi who chaired the session to talk about the sexist comment by the Leader of the Opposition. At that juncture, Smriti Irani who was standing nearby intervened. An MP told Republic TV, "Sonia Gandhi was quite aggressive and harsh while talking to Smriti Iran, she waved her finger at Smriti Irani and said you don't talk to me".

Here is the purported excerpt from the heated exchange: 

Sonia Gandhi: Don't talk to me.

Smriti Irani: Why should I keep mum? 

Sonia: You (BJP) cannot name me.

Smriti Irani: Why should not we (name you)?

Sources revealed that BJP MPs also came there and started raising the slogan 'Sonia Gandhi Maafi Mango' (Sonia Gandhi apologise). In a reference to this incident, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told the media, "Sonia Gandhi herself came up to one of her senior members Rama Devi to find out and one of our members approached there and she said, 'You don't talk to me'. Putting a member of Parliament down in the House shows instead of remorse from the highest leader of the Congress party, we find greater and greater aggression". 

Smriti Irani lashes out at Sonia Gandhi

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury addressing President Droupadi Murmu as 'Rashtrapatni' snowballed into a major controversy with Union Minister Smriti Irani raising the issue in Lok Sabha. Launching a no-holds-barred attack on Congress, Irani recalled that various leaders of the Sonia Gandhi-led party had repeatedly insulted Murmu since her candidature for the President's post was announced. Amid a vociferous protest by BJP MPs in the House, she directly addressed Sonia Gandhi who was present on the occasion and demanded her apology. 

Smriti Irani alleged, "Congress cannot digest the honour for a tribal woman. Congress is not able to digest that a girl of a poor family became the President. A journalist interrupted that Congress leader that you are insulting the President of the country. Even then, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury did not take back the insult of Droupadi Murmu. Congress is anti-tribal, anti-woman, anti-poor and now insults the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces." 

"I want to ask the Congress president who is present here- you sanctioned the humiliation of Droupadi Murmu. You sanctioned the humiliation of the tribal legacy of this country. Sonia Ji sanctioned the humiliation of a woman in the highest constitutional post. You sanctioned the humiliation of a poor woman in the highest office of this country. You sanctioned the insult of every Indian citizen," the Union Minister added. According to sources, a BJP MP is likely to file a privilege motion against Sonia Gandhi.