INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Monday ripped into Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, criticising it on multiple issues as he
launched his year-long "Save the Constitution campaign"
While the programme was seen as an outreach to the Dalit community, the Congress chief spoke of farmers, women, corruption and demanded a
15-minute debate with the Prime Minister in Parliament."Modi is afraid to stand in Parliament If I am allowed to speak for 15 minutes on
Rafale issue in Parliament before Modi, he will not be able to withstand it," said the 48-year-old Congress leader, who took charge of the
party in December last year.The BJP was quick to hit back
"Rahul has been saying he wants 15 minutes to talk since 15 days; Here's your answer Rahul Gandhi - a person who cannot write 15 lines
without looking at his phone, wants to talk for 15 minutes," said BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra.The Congress has been long alleging that the
deal for 36 Rafale fighter planes with the French government was finalised by PM Modi's government at a higher price than the previous
deal for 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft negotiated by the UPA government.Mr Gandhi also targeted the Prime Minister over the recent
spate of child rape cases, which evoked fury across the country.Earlier, the slogan was "Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao"
The new slogan is just Beti Bachao (save the girls)
Save them from whom From the BJP and its MLAs," the Congress chief said
The government, he said, will not save the girls, their parents will have to
"That's the sad reality," he added.The Congress has repeatedly targeted the government over the rapes of minors in Kathua and Unnao
In the horrific rape and murder of the 8-year-old in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua, two BJP ministers were forced to step down after they
openly supported the accused.In Unnao, a 16-year-old has accused a BJP lawmaker Kuldeep Singh Sengar, and his brother of raping her
The lawmaker's brother was arrested after the girl's father died days after suffering an assault.The nationwide furore over the two
cases has drawn international attention and Christine Lagarde, the chief of International Monetary Fund or IMF, has commented that Indian
authorities should pay more attention to the women in the country.Referring to her comments, Mr Gandhi said: "Modi doesn't say a word
IMF chief commented how he wasn't helping women, how he was silent and not acting
No PM has been talked to like this in 70 years, be it Nehru, Vajpayee or any other PM
No PM has been talked to like this."PM Modi, who was had been met by hundreds of protesters as he landed in London last week, broke his
silence on the matter, saying "rape is rape" and should not be politicised."When a child is raped we cannot compare these incidents in
numbers for different governments
Rape is rape How can we accept this" he said during an interaction with the Indian community at at London's iconic Central Hall
