VIDEO: My Mother Has Utmost Respect For Prez Murmu, Unfortunately Media Twisted Her Remarks: Priyanka Gandhi

New Delhi: Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, on Friday, jumped in defence of her mother and former Congress President Sonia Gandhi saying the latter has the utmost respect for President Droupadi Murmu.

The Wayanad MP while exiting the Parliament House complex after attending a committee meeting, said, "She (Sonia Gandhi) is a 78-year-old lady. She simply said she (Murmu) must have been tired of reading such a long script. It's very unfortunate that this kind of thing...twisted by the media."

Vadra also hit out at the BJP's demand for an apology over the issue, saying it should first apologise for "ruining the country".

Earlier, Congress' deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi also hit out at the BJP over its criticism of the issue.

"Smt. Sonia Gandhi's empathy for Hon'ble President Droupadi Murmu ji's health cannot be digested by the men in the BJP. Every person in India has respect and empathy for the President," he said on X.

"Will the BJP answer for the disrespect shown to President Murmu when she was not invited to the inauguration of the Parliament or the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya? I challenge them to answer this question," Gogoi said.

Earlier, the BJP launched an all-out attack on the Congress over Sonia Gandhi's remarks, saying they were "deeply disrespectful" and also underscored the opposition's "continued disregard" for the dignity of the highest constitutional office.

Soon after the President delivered her address to a joint sitting of Parliament, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were seen discussing the speech in the Parliament complex.

"The poor lady, the President, was getting very tired by the end... she could hardly speak, poor thing," Sonia Gandhi was purportedly heard saying in a video doing the rounds on social media. (with PTI inputs)