New education minister ‘defender of rapists’: Rahul Gandhi blasts Pralhad Joshi

“That is the Education Minister of India today. It’s a strange reaction from the PM, that there are so many people in his cabinet, he could have chosen anyone of them. But he chooses a person who protects rapists. Quite amazing,” the Congress MP said.

#WATCH | Delhi: Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi says, “Education Minister of India – the BJP puts a man who is a defender of rapists. That is the most filthy type of man. There can be no flithier man than somebody who says that rapists need protection. That is the Education Minister… pic.twitter.com/7YXzD79lIR

— ANI (@ANI) July 28, 2026

Meanwhile, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also attacked BJP during her speech in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, criticising the party for giving a lavish welcome to Dharmendra Pradhan as he walked into the Parliament. Her fiery speech came after Pradhan was met by BJP MPs with gifts and ‘Pradhan Zindabad’ slogans, while opposition MPs countered with slogans like ‘Chor, chor, paper chor’.

The Wayanad MP said, “Don’t you think it is shameful? Everyone saw the circumstances under which Pradhan resigned… but yesterday, in parliament, he was welcomed as if he were a superstar!”

Pralhad Joshi’s remarks on Bilkis Bano gangrape case

Rahul Gandhi’s statements refer to a remark made by Union Minister Pralhad Joshi after the premature release of the 11 men convicted in the 2002 Bilkis Bano gangrape case. Joshi had defended the release of the 11 convicts, saying it was done “as per the legal provision”.

Speaking to The Indian Express over phone in 2022, Joshi had said, “Whatever is done is as per the legal provision. After one spends required time in jail, there is a provision to get free. In this case, that provision, which is absolutely legal, has been done.”

Joshi was the first senior BJP leader to publicly defend the decision to release the 11 convicts, a move which sparked massive public and political backlash. The release of the convicts was later quashed by the Supreme Court, calling it an abuse of discretion.

Leadership change in Education Ministry

Pralhad Joshi was given charge of the Education Ministry on Saturday, hours after Dharmendra Pradhan submitted his resignation from the post to the Prime Minister.

Pradhan’s resignation came after a month-long agitation by the Cockroach Janta Party over the NEET paper leak and the eventual to a crackdown on the ‘Chalo Sansad’ march. CJP had put forward multiple demands for the central government over the paper leak, including Pradhan’s resignation and reforms in the education policy.

The central government delegation, including Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitdendra Singh, held multiple rounds of talks with the CJP spokespersons, after which the protest at Jantar Mantar was called off.