That’s how Congress Lok Sabha member Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury described President Draupadi Murmu—in what seems to be a classic moment of Bengali confusion over gender-use in Hindi (see the clip here). As the video went viral, there was great uproar in Parliament—in the midst of which Sonia Gandhi told Union Minister Smriti Irani: “I don’t want to talk to you.” An ugly war of words ensued—with the kind of shrill hysteria that makes all of us despair for the future of this country. The National Commission of Women has issued a notice to Chowdhury—and an FIR has been filed against him in Madhya Pradesh. 

Good advice needed! We recently launched a crowd-sourced version of I Recommend—because everyone needs advice when they have stuff to buy. By popular demand, our next edition of I Rec will feature all kinds of watches. Pretty please, help your fellow splainer subscribers by recommending your tried-and-tested faves. Fill out a handy form here. ICYMI: Here are our previous editions on the perfect red lipstick, all kinds of athletic shoes and sunscreens.

Stuff to check out: On the latest episode of the splainer podcast ‘Press Decode,’ the team discusses the big brouhaha over Ranveer’s naked pics—and the medical debate over antidepressants. Be sure to head over to the IVM website, Spotify or Apple Podcasts to listen to it.  

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