Rahul evades question on Kolkata horror during visit to LS constituency; BJP bristles

New Delhi, Aug 20 : The Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Tuesday turned down scribes’ questions on Kolkata horror, which has kept the state on edge for a week and triggered waves of outrage and protests by the doctor fraternity across the country.

Rahul Gandhi is on a day-long visit to his Lok Sabha constituency Rae Bareli to meet the family of a Dalit youth Arjun Pasi, 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,” replied the Congress MP when the newsmen asked him about his stand over the alleged cover-up by the Mamata administration.

When newsmen further sought his reply, citing the Supreme Court’s stern observations, he remained evasive and replied, “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) was quick to latch on to Rahul's ‘distraction’ charge and asked whether demanding justice for a daughter was a distraction for the Congress MP.

"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 been at the receiving end over alleged silence on the horrific rape and murder case of Kolkata medic, with BJP questioning their double standards.