Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Tuesday declined to address questions from reporters regarding the ongoing unrest in Kolkata. The situation, which has kept West Bengal on edge for a week, has sparked widespread outrage and protests from the medical community across India.
Rahul Gandhi was on a one-day visit to his Lok Sabha constituency, Rae Bareli, where he met with the family of Arjun Pasi, a Dalit youth who was shot dead nine days ago in Nasirabad.
“I am here to seek justice for the Dalit family, whose son was killed. I won’t speak on the Kolkata incident here, I have already spoken about it,” the Congress MP stated when asked about his stance on the alleged cover-up by Mamata Banerjee's administration.
When pressed further, with references to the Supreme Court’s harsh remarks on the matter, Gandhi remained non-committal, repeating, “I have come here seeking justice for Dalit family.”
“You don’t want to raise the issue of Dalits. You want to distract the issue. I am here for seeking justice for the family,” Rahul further said in a terse reply.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swiftly seized upon Gandhi's comments, questioning whether seeking justice for a daughter was a distraction for the Congress leader.
"When asked about RG Kar medical case & SC slamming Bengal govt & police, Rahul Gandhi shamelessly says 'I won’t be distracted'. Is Nyay for Beti a distraction? Those who speak about Sanvidhan, Ladki hoon lad sakti hoon & visit victims' homes in UP call a grave injustice “distraction” because it happened in Bengal. This is an insult to the victim & of all women," Shehzad Poonawala wrote on X.
The INDIA bloc allies have faced criticism for their alleged silence on the horrific rape and murder case involving a Kolkata medic, with the BJP questioning their apparent double standards.
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