The National Commission for Women on Thursday issued a notice to Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury seeking an explanation for his remarks against President Droupadi Murmu.

Chowdhury had referred to Murmu as “rashtrapatni” while protesting against the questioning of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi by the Enforcement Directorate in a money-laundering case related to the National Herald newspaper.

When asked about Congress’s plan to march to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Chowdhury said: “Yes, we will go to the Rashtrapati. India’s rashtrapati, no no rashtrapatni, is for all.”

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Bharatiya Janata Party leaders described Chowdhury’s comments as misogynist and demeaning to the Adivasi community.

The Congress leader, however, said that the remarks were a “slip of tongue” and that he would personally meet the president to apologise.

On Thursday, taking suo moto cognisance, the National Commission for Women issued a notice to Chowdhury and asked him to appear before the panel on August 3. It also asked him to tender a written explanation of his remarks.

“His (Chowdhury’s) words are deeply insulting, sexist and constitute an attempt to humiliate the Honourable President [Droupadi Murmu],” the commission said in a statement. “We call upon all right-thinking persons to condemn his words in the strongest possible language.”

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The women’s panel also wrote to Sonia Gandhi to intervene and take appropriate action against Chowdhury.

FIR in Madhya Pradesh

A first information report was also registered against Chowdhury in Madhya Pradesh’s Dindori district over his remarks against President Droupadi Murmu, ANI reported.

Choudhary was charged under Sections 153(B) (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration) and 505(A) (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code.

Additional Superintendent of Police Jagannath Markam said that the FIR was filed on a complaint made by BJP workers.