BJP used rape incidents for votes, now silent on their leaders' crime: Congress

In an attack on PM Modi and Irani, the Congress alleged that when they (Modi) talked about lack of safety for women when they were in opposition they were fulfilling their role as an opposition party but when the opposition leader like Rahul Gandhi questioned the government's silence, they have dubbed him as 'anti-national'.

In a series of tweets, AICC communication in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala said that when Modi was in opposition, he had held rallies on the incidents of violence against women to win votes.

"The moment you came to power, you made a U-turn and started singing a different tone. Now when opposition leader Mr Gandhi is raising issues on women, you want end his Parliament membership. Is this your Raj Dharma," Surjewala asked.

Sharing a couple of video clips of Modi's earlier speeches, in which he is seen talking about the rising incidents of rapes and calling Delhi as India's 'rape capital', the Congress spokesperson said that Modi's remarks were described as the criticism raised by an opposition leader against the government while Rahul's attack against the government on the same issue has led him to be dubbed as a 'traitor'.

"When you described Delhi as India's rape capital in the events in Mumbai, Gurgaon, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Delhi ,it was described as the criticism raised by an opposition leader against the government. But, when Mr Rahul Gandhi questioned your mysterious silence on daily incidents on rape against women, and seeks a reply from you, he is dubbed as anti-national," Surjewala charged.

Taking on Irani, who was in the forefront to attack Gandhi for his 'rape in India' remarks at an election rally in Jharkhand, Surjewala alleged that the Minister was running away from replying on the question on rape accused BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar and others.

"You ran away from replying over the questions on rape accused BJP leaders Sengar, and others. You should not express fake anger on Mr Gandhi to put a lid on inaction of your government against the rapists," he added.

Responding to a question that BJP demanded an apology from Gandhi on his 'rape' remarks, Mahila Congress president Sushmita Dev asked what was the mistake in Gandhi's statement.

"We are sad that Women and child Development Minister doesn't have any answer on why the Nirbhaya fund has not utilised. We are also sad that the same Minister and the Prime Minister are representing constituencies in Uttar Pradesh from where reports on rapes are coming out every day, protests are happening universities, but this Minister or the Prime Minister did not utter a word," she said.

Dev has also said that the leaders of BJP should look into their own closets, and introspect and "you should know right behind you in parliament, there are sitting some BJP leaders who were accused of serious crimes against women", and asked "why don't you speak against them."

Referring to Irani, the Mahila Congress chief said that "at last you have woke up from your sleep. You neither spoke on onions nor on the Unnao rape cases. As opposition leader, it is Rahul Gandhi's right to speak on the rising crimes against women. We are happy that our leader Mr Gandhi is speaking for the cause of women."

On Thursday, while speaking in an election rally in Jharkhand, Gandhi had lashed out at the BJP and PM Modi and had said, "Narendra Modi had said 'Make in India' but nowadays wherever you look, it is 'Rape in India'. In Uttar Pradesh's Unnao, Narendra Modi's MLA raped a woman, then she met with an accident but Narendra Modi did not utter a word.”

Earlier in the day, moments after the uproar in Parliament by the BJP members to demand Rahul's apology, Gandhi asserted that he will not apologise for his 'rape in India' remark and demanded that Modi should apologise for 'burning the Northeast' and for remarks describing Delhi is 'rape capital'.