The Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, declined to answer reporters’ questions on the recent Kolkata incident that has gripped the state with tension for a week, leading to widespread outrage and protests from the medical community across the country.
Rahul Gandhi was on a day-long visit to his Lok Sabha constituency Rae Bareli to meet 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 responded when asked about his stance on the alleged cover-up by the Mamata Banerjee administration.
When pressed further by reporters, citing the Supreme Court’s stern remarks, Rahul Gandhi remained non-committal, stating, “I have come here seeking justice for Dalit family.”
He further added, “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.”
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) quickly seized upon Rahul Gandhi’s comment about "distraction," questioning whether seeking justice for a victim in Kolkata was indeed 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.
Notably, the INDIA bloc allies have faced criticism for their perceived silence on the horrific rape and murder case involving a Kolkata medical professional, with the BJP accusing them of double standards.
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