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NEW DELHI: Congress MPs Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of appointing as the new education minister a leader who had “expressed happiness over the release of those who raped a pregnant woman.“Union minister Pralhad Joshi has been given additional charge of the ministry of education following the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan on July 25 amid nationwide student protests over the NEET (UG) paper leak.Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was the first to target Joshi, making the remarks during the Lok Sabha debate on the Centre’s proposed amendments to the anti-paper leak law.“The prime minister appointed a new education minister, a person who expressed consent and even happiness over the release of those convicted of raping a pregnant woman,” the Wayanad MP alleged, prompting Union minister Pralhad Joshi and parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju to intervene and demand that she substantiate the claim.An irate Joshi demanded that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra be expelled from the House and asked her to apologise for the remark.However, she hit back saying that has a video of the minister backing the convicted rapists.“At a time when they are saying that they are bringing in women’s rights, women’s reservations and they are putting women in the forefront…It’s a very wrong message…I am going to authenticate. There is a video of that time. I will submit everything with proper procedure,” Priyanka Gandhi Vadra stated.Lok Sabha leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi backed his sister and remarked that there cannot a “filthier” person than one who defends release of convicted rapists.“Education minister of India – the BJP puts a man who is a defender of rapists. That is the most filthy type of man. There can be no flithier man than somebody who says that rapists need protection. That is the education minister of India today. It’s a strange reaction from the PM, that there are so many people in his cabinet, he could have chosen anyone of them. But he chooses a person who protects rapists. Quite amazing!,” Rahul Gandhi told reporters.The siblings appeared to be referring to the case of Bilkis Bano, who was gang-raped during the 2002 Gujarat riots. The 11 convicts were released in August 2022, triggering widespread outrage, before the Supreme Court quashed their release in January 2024.Speaking to a news channel in October 2022, Joshi had said the convicts’ release was in accordance with the law.
