The Congress on Tuesday trained its guns on Education Minister Pralhad Joshi, just days after Dharmendra Pradhan stepped down from the cabinet post.
Addressing media outside the Parliament, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi called Joshi "the most filthy type of man" and "defender of rapists" for supporting the release of convicts in the 2002 Bilkis Bano gang-rape case.
“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," he said.
His remarks came after his sister and senior Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadhra made similar remarks during the Monsoon session of Parliament on Tuesday.
Slamming Prime Minister Narendra Modi for picking Joshi as Pradhan's replacement, Priyanka asked, "What message has the Prime Minister sent to the crores of girls in this country through this decision? The message is loud and clear. There is no ambiguity about it."
Responding to Priyanka's allegations, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said her remarks amounted to character assassination and sought the objectionable comments to be expunged from the parliamentary records. "She is a senior leader of her party, though she has been elected for the first time. She should speak responsibly. If she cannot maintain the dignity of the House, then I believe she should apologise to the House," he added.
Joshi demanded action against Priyanka for spreading misinformation, saying she should apologise and be expelled.
He was appointed to the post after Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation was necessitated by weeks of protests by students and youth across the country.
