Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who has been in the firing line for his 'rashtrapatni' remark, wrote a letter to President Droupadi Murmu on Friday and sought an apology.
"I am writing to express my regret for having mistakenly used an incorrect word to describe the position you hold. I assure you that it was a slip of the tongue. I apologize and request you to accept the same," Congress leader said in his letter.
"It was not a slip of the tongue. If you watch the clip, Chowdhury clearly (referred to President Murmu as) Rashtrapati twice, then he called her Rashtrapatni," Law Minister Kiren Rijiju told news agency ANI. "Such matters should not be taken lightly," he added. The BJP had also demanded an apology from Congress chief Sonia Gandhi since it was her party leader who made the comment.
Chowdhury had made it clear he would not apologise to the BJP, but would meet President Murmu and apologise to her "a hundred times," if she says she was hurt by his remark. He had made the remark while talking to reporters during his party's protests over a host of issues.
In Rajya Sabha, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman demanded an apology from Sonia Gandhi.
Several BJP leaders and ministers criticised Adhir and the Congress party accusing them of demeaning the tribal president.
Smriti Irani also said that Congress should apologise in Parliament, and on the streets of India and the apology is not only due to the President of India but to every citizen of India "Under Sonia Gandhi's leadership, Congressmen continue to demean the women in constitutional posts. Congress party for demeaning the first tribal President of our country needs to apologise in Parliament, on the streets of India and the apology is not only due to the President of India but to every citizen of India who is duly represented by Droupadi Murmu ji in office," she added.
Yesterday, Adhir Ranjan had said that there is no question of apologising as he had mistakenly referred to Murmu as 'Rashtrapatni'.
"There is no question of apologising. I had mistakenly said 'Rashtrapatni', now if you want to hang me for it, then you can...the ruling party, in a deliberate design, trying to make mountain out of a molehill," said Congress Chowdhury on his 'Rashtrapatni' remark.
