‘Defender of rapists’: Rahul Gandhi attacks education minister Pralhad Joshi, cites B
‘Defender of rapists’: Rahul Gandhi attacks education minister Pralhad Joshi, cites Bilkis Bano case
M.U.H
29/07/202618
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday described Pralhad Joshi as a "defender of rapists" and a "filthy man" as he hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for appointing such a person as the country's education minister.
Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha said the prime minister could have chosen anyone in his cabinet as the education minister, but it is strange he chose a person who "protects rapists".
"The Education Minister of India - who after all these young people were protesting about the education system and so many young girls were protesting and were beaten and thrashed, the BJP puts a man who is a defender of rapists. That is the most filthy type of man. There can be no filthier man than somebody who says that rapists need protection. That is the Education Minister of India today," Gandhi told reporters.
"It is strange. It's a strange reaction from the prime minister. There are so many people in his Cabinet; he could have chosen any one of them. But he chooses a person who protects rapists. It's quite amazing," he also said.
The Congress released an earlier video of Joshi, who while sitting with the rapists of Bilkis Bano, was asked about their release. He is heard saying, "I don't think there is anything wrong in that because that is being done as per process of law."
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who earlier made similar remarks inside Lok Sabha while speaking on the bill to make a stringent law against paper leaks and other malpractices in exam system, said this sends a wrong message.
The remarks made in Lok Sabha created uproar with the treasury benches demanding that Vadra authenticates whatever she has stated.
Vadra later said she will properly authenticate her words as a video of Joshi is also available with them.
"At a time when they are talking about women's rights, women's reservation, and they are putting women at the forefront... you know what women have to face and deal within society in general, their security and everything... this sends a very wrong message," Vadra said.
Joshi, a five-time Lok Sabha MP who is one of the most experienced ministers in the Narendra Modi cabinet, was the Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister in 2018, when 11 men serving life terms for raping Bilkis Bano and killing her family during the 2002 Gujarat riots were granted early release.
Defending the decision, which had prompted massive outrage, Joshi had said the convicts had spent "quite some time" in prison and there was a provision for their release.
The minister had also repeated the "good behaviour" argument that was used by the Gujarat government to justify the decision.
"After having been in prison for some time, if their behaviour...there are so many incidents, I don't want to get into that," Joshi had said.
In 2024, the early release was cancelled by the Supreme Court, which said the remission order lacked competence.
