“Murma ji” and “Covid”: Congress chief’s name slips on Presidents spark BJP outrage

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge faced sharp criticism from the BJP after mispronouncing the names of President Droupadi Murmu and former President Ram Nath Kovind during a speech in Chhattisgarh.

Speaking at the Science Ground in Raipur, Kharge referred to President Murmu as “Murma ji” but quickly corrected himself. Moments later, he mistakenly called Kovind “Covid.” These slip-ups happened while he was addressing concerns over large-scale tree cutting in Chhattisgarh and accusing the BJP and its industrial allies of land grabbing.

Kharge said, “Our water, forests, and land need to be protected, so we must unite. They (BJP) claim we made Murma President and Covid President, but why? To steal our resources—our forests, water, and land. People like Adani and Ambani are occupying them today.”

The BJP strongly condemned Kharge’s remarks, calling them offensive and disrespectful. BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said, “The Congress president’s words against Draupadi Murmu are objectionable and have hurt the entire tribal community. Referring to former President Kovind as ‘Covid’ is unacceptable.”

Another BJP spokesperson, Shehzad Poonawalla, added, “Kharge’s comments show Congress’s deep-rooted prejudice against the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. This is typical of the Congress’s disrespect toward constitutional offices—they have insulted the Chief Justice of India, the Prime Minister, and now the President.”

This isn’t the first time Congress has been accused of making derogatory remarks about the President. In 2022, senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury stirred controversy when he called President Murmu “rashtrapatni.” The BJP raised the issue in Parliament, leading Chowdhury to apologize, saying it was a slip of the tongue due to language differences and that he had great respect for the President.

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