Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s remark calling President Droupadi Murmu “poor thing” after her address to Parliament on the opening day of the Budget Session on Friday has escalated into a full-blown controversy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi termed it as an insult of the poor and tribals and the Rashtrapati Bhavan was quick to respond that the President was far from tired, adding the remark was unfortunate and in poor taste. The President’s office said the avoidable remark had hurt the dignity of high office.

The Prime Minister said the Congress family’s arrogance was on full display today while addressing an election rally in Dwarka. He said the President spoke in Parliament and one meber of the family found it tiring and another found it boring. The words of urban naxals are more appealing to them, Modi said.

BJP chief JP Nadda blamed the Congress leadership for being elitist, anti-poor and anti-tribal.

After the President’s budget address to the joint sitting of Parliament, Sonia Gandhi told reporters that the President looked tired after her traditional speech. She was with her children, MPs Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Rahul Gandhi could be seen helping his mother saying no comments when asked if the speech was boring.

As soon as the BJP attacked the Gandhis for the comment, saying it was derogatory and demanded an apology, the Rashtrapati Bhavan put out a statement, saying, “The President was not tired at any point. Indeed, she has believed that speaking up for the marginalized communities, for women and farmers, as she was doing during the course of her address, can never be tiring.”

The statement then said, “The President’s office believes it might be the case that these leaders have not acquainted themselves with the idiom and discourse in Indian languages such as Hindi, and thus formed a wrong impression. In any case, such comments are in poor taste, unfortunate and entirely avoidable.”

The Budget session of Parliament commenced with President Droupadi Murmu addressing a joint sitting of both Houses, setting the stage for key legislative discussions and financial proposals. Following her address, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tabled the Economic Survey 2024-25, an essential document evaluating the country’s economic performance and laying the groundwork for policy decisions in the upcoming financial year.

Key highlights of the budget session:

Presidential address marks the beginning – President Murmu inaugurated the session with a speech to both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, outlining the government’s priorities and legislative agenda.

Economic survey presented – Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tabled the Economic Survey 2024-25, a document prepared under the leadership of Chief Economic Adviser V Anantha Nageswaran, offering a comprehensive analysis of economic trends and challenges.

Roadmap for economic growth – The Economic Survey not only assesses the nation’s economic health but also suggests necessary reforms and policy measures to drive growth and stability.

Key bills on the agenda – The government has listed 16 Bills for deliberation, including the Waqf (Amendment) Bill and several others related to banking, railways, disaster management, oilfields regulation, aircraft interests, and immigration reforms.

Expectations from the Union Budget – The first full Budget under the Modi 3.0 government is scheduled to be presented by Finance Minister Sitharaman on February 1. Speculation remains high on potential changes in income tax slabs and other financial measures.

Session schedule – The first phase of the session will run until February 13 before taking a recess to allow scrutiny of budget proposals.

Resumption in March – The second part of the session will begin on March 10 and continue until April 4, totaling 27 sittings across both phases.

Debate on President’s address – The Lok Sabha has allocated two days (February 3-4) for discussions on the Motion of Thanks for the President’s address, while Rajya Sabha will engage in debates over three days.

As the Budget session unfolds, all eyes remain on the upcoming financial announcements and the passage of crucial legislative measures aimed at economic and social development.

Mumbai Police have verified the identity of the accused in the stabbing of actor Saif Ali Khan using facial recognition technology. Mohammad Shariful Islam, a Bangladeshi national, was confirmed as the individual captured on CCTV footage at the crime scene, officials said.

Islam allegedly broke into Khan’s apartment on the 12th floor of a Bandra high-rise in the early hours of January 16 with the intent to commit robbery. When confronted by the 54-year-old actor, Islam allegedly stabbed him six times before fleeing the scene.

Khan was immediately taken to Lilavati Hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery. One of the wounds came dangerously close to his spinal cord, leading to a spinal fluid leak. After five days of hospitalization, he was discharged and advised strict bed rest.

Arrest and political connections

Islam was apprehended on January 19 in Thane, a neighboring city of Mumbai. His father, Mohammed Ruhul Amin, in a conversation with media, claimed that his son had fled Bangladesh due to political persecution. Amin alleged that Islam was affiliated with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and was targeted under the long rule of the Awami League government led by Sheikh Hasina.

Despite acknowledging his son’s political past, Amin denied his involvement in the crime, asserting that the person captured on CCTV was not Islam. He claimed Islam had a distinct facial structure and hairstyle different from the suspect in the footage. Furthermore, he questioned the credibility of the CCTV visuals used to identify him.

Legal developments and forensic contradictions

A Mumbai court recently rejected the police’s request for an extension of Islam’s custody, citing a lack of new evidence. The Bandra magistrate’s court ruled that while police can seek custody again if new developments emerge, Islam would remain in judicial remand for now.

Under India’s revised criminal code, authorities can seek police custody for up to 15 days within a 40- or 60-day period, depending on the gravity of the offense.

Despite the strong facial recognition match, forensic investigations have thrown up contradictions. Fingerprint analysis conducted by the CID failed to match Islam’s prints with those collected from the crime scene. This unexpected result raised concerns, but authorities proceeded with further forensic tests on items recovered from the crime scene, including the suspect’s clothing, a knife, a towel, and a bag.

Illegal entry and alleged motive

Investigators suspect that Islam entered India illegally from Bangladesh, changing his name to Bijoy Das upon arrival. He reportedly spent time in Kolkata before relocating to Mumbai.

Police are now tracking individuals who may have aided Islam’s illegal entry and stay in India. According to his statement, Islam was promised fake Indian identity documents in exchange for money, which allegedly motivated him to commit the robbery at Khan’s residence.

Wrongful detention controversy

The case also saw a wrongful arrest when Akash Kanojia, a 31-year-old man, was mistakenly taken into custody following a tip-off. Kanojia, who was arrested while traveling on a train in Chhattisgarh, later claimed that the incident devastated his life.

Speaking to media, Kanojia said he lost his job as a driver and even had a marriage proposal withdrawn due to the stigma of being a suspect in the high-profile case. His father, Kailash Kanojia, condemned the police’s actions, stating that his son had suffered immense mental trauma.

Mumbai Police defended the mistaken detention, stating that preliminary questioning and detentions are routine during complex investigations.

Ongoing investigation

Despite the fingerprint mismatch, authorities remain confident in the facial recognition findings and other forensic evidence. The investigation continues as police work to determine how Islam entered India and whether he received assistance in forging documents.

With multiple twists in the case, including forensic inconsistencies and a wrongful arrest, the probe into the Saif Ali Khan stabbing incident remains far from over.