'Took Help of Anti-National Elements, Gang-Rapists': Smriti Irani Lashes Out at Rahul Gandhi

Amethi: Union Minister Smriti Irani has lashed out at Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, saying he took the help of anti-national elements in his Lok Sabha constituency of Wayanad, Kerala. In a scathing attack on Gandhi at a roadside meeting with the people of Amethi ahead of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, Irani said that the former Congress president had taken the aid of people who had allegedly gang-raped minors. While the basis of the remarks by Smriti Irani on Rahul Gandhi is not known, these are some serious allegations by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) minister against the Congress leader. 

Irani claimed that the people of Gandhi's supporting party in Sandeshkhali allegedly took underage Hindu girls to their office and gang-raped them. She was referring to the members of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress (TMC) who have been accused of sexual harassment of the women of Sandeshkhali, including arrested accused Sheikh Shahjahan. The women of Sandeshkhali, including minors and married women, were gang-raped in the TMC office, she claimed. The sons of such families were also beaten up and were subjected to other atrocities. 

Irani, who will be contesting from Amethi, Uttar Pradesh, again in the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, also claimed that Gandhi ignored Amethi for long. Amethi had been the Gandhi family bastion for over 20 years undefeated. However, there has been no development in the region in their tenure, said Irani. Meanwhile, the BJP in its five-year tenure in Amethi has worked for the city.

Smriti Irani also said that Rahul Gandhi insulted Lord Ram and thus cannot show respect to fellow human beings. 

Smriti Irani beat Rahul Gandhi in Amethi in the Lok Sabha Elections 2019 by a margin of 55,000 votes. However, Rahul Gandhi won from Wayanad, Kerala, in the Lok Sabha Elections 2019. He secured a margin of over 4.31 lakh votes and defeated Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate PP Suneer.

Of the current elections, Irani said, “After the voting in Wayanad on April 26, Rahul Gandhi will come to Amethi and say that this is his family, and promote casteism in the society here.”

On behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the minister thanked the supporters for being there at the meeting in Amethi amid the heat wave in the country.