Rahul Gandhi attacks Modi over appointment of Pralhad Joshi as Education Minister

Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra criticised the appointment of Pralhad Joshi as Education Minister, alleging it sends a wrong message on women’s safety. The BJP has faced criticism from Congress over Joshi’s remarks on the Bilkis Bano case

New Delhi: 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 was strange that he chose a person who “protects rapists”.

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“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.

Later in a post on X, Gandhi made the same remarks. “There can be no filthier type of man than one who defends rapists. Pralhad Joshi is an insult to our education system and an insult to every student in it. Crores of young women study in the institutions he now oversees.

“India’s women will never accept PM Modi’s new Education Minister,” the Congress leader said in his post.

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 the exam system, said this sends a wrong message.

The remarks made in Lok Sabha created an uproar, with the treasury benches demanding that Vadra authenticate whatever she had stated.

Vadra later said she would properly authenticate her words as a video of Joshi was 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 with in society in general, their security and everything… this sends a very wrong message,” Vadra said.

The Congress also released an earlier video of Joshi in which he was asked about the release of Bilkis Bano’s rapists and was heard saying, “I don’t think there is anything wrong in that because that is being done as per process of law.”