Rahul denies to apologise for 'rape in India' remark, says BJP raking issue to deflect attention from Northeast

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday denied to apologise for his "rape in India" remark and alleged that the issue is being raised by the BJP to deflect the attention of the people from protests in Northeast.

"I will not apologise... I have a clip on my phone in which Narendra Modi ji is calling Delhi a 'rape capital', will tweet it so that everyone can see. The main issue is Narendra Modi and Amit Shah set northeast on fire. Just to deflect attention from protests in North East, this is being made an issue by BJP," Gandhi told reporters here.

He also said that the incidents of rape were being reported from different parts of India as the incidents were happening everywhere.

"I had said that Narendra Modi had said there will be 'Make in India'. We thought there will be 'Make in India' in newspapers but we look at newspapers today and see 'rape in India'. Rape incidents are happening everywhere", he added.

"In Unnao, BJP MLA raped a woman. The accident of the victim was orchestrated. Narendra Modi did not say anything. Modi spread violence and now it is everywhere in the country," he said.

Both houses of Parliament today witnessed uproar as BJP members demanded an apology from the former Congress president.

Amid the ruckus, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said in the Lower House, "Rahul Gandhi is telling rape in India and it means what? He is asking all the outsiders to come and rape women. Is it right?"

Union Minister Smriti Irani, who defeated the Congress leader in his home bastion Amethi in 2019 Lok Sabha poll, said: "This is the first time in history that a leader is giving a clarion call that Indian women be raped. Is this Rahul Gandhi's message to the people of the country?"

Addressing a poll rally in Jharkhand on Thursday, Gandhi had said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched 'Make in India' but nowadays it is 'Rape in India'.

"Narendra Modi had said 'Make in India' but nowadays wherever you look, it is 'Rape in India'. In Uttar Pradesh Narendra Modi's MLA raped a woman, then she met with an accident but Narendra Modi did not utter a word," he had said.