Lok Sabha session ends amid uproar over Rahul's 'rape in India' remark

Rajnath said people who spoke like Rahul needed to apologise to the whole country

file rahul (File) Rahul Gandhi | PTI

Speaker Om Birla adjourned the Lok Sabha sine die on Friday amid uproar by BJP members over comments by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on incidents of rape at an election rally.

Speaking at a rally for the Jharkhand Assembly polls at Godda on Thursday, Rahul said, "Narendra Modi had said 'Make in India' but nowadays wherever you look, it is 'Rape in India'." Rahul referred to a rape case in Jharkhand and the case of rape in Unnao in which a BJP MLA is the prime accused. Referring to Modi's slogans of 'Beti Bacchao, Beti Padhao', Rahul declared girls had to be saved from BJP MLAs.

Smriti Irani, who defeated Rahul in his pocket borough of Amethi in the Lok Sabha polls, declared, "It’s happened for the first time in history of India that Gandhi family's son is saying 'come and rape women in India'.” Asking whether this was Rahul's message to the people of India, Irani demanded that the Congress leader be punished.

Later speaking to mediapersons, Irani asked Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, who is also Rahul's mother, that she should make him understand "that women of this country won't tolerate such condemnable statements".

BJP MP Locket Chatterjee said Rahul had insulted women by making remarks that 'Make in India' had become 'rape in India'. She said all men were not rapists.

Referring to Rahul's comments, Rajnath said people who spoke like this should apologise to the entire country and not just Parliament. Rajnath asked whether such people should be allowed to come to Parliament.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal said several BJP members had given notices of adjournment against Rahul Gandhi's remarks and they be allowed to speak. Meghwal said Gandhi's remarks in Jharkhand's Godda district on Thursday were condemnable and he should apologise in the House. Meghwal said there had been precedents where members have apologised in the Lok Sabha for remarks made outside the House.

Despite the uproar, Rahul told mediapersons categorically that he would not apologise for his remarks.