"Defender Of Rapists Is Education Minister": Rahul Gandhi Slams Pralhad Joshi

Expressing his "amazement" at Pralhad Joshi being picked as Education Minister after Dharmendra Pradhan had to resign from the post, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi has said the BJP has put its faith in someone who is a "defender of rapists".

Joshi, a five-time Lok Sabha MP who is one of the most experienced ministers in the Narendra Modi cabinet, was the Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister in 2018, when 11 men serving life terms for raping Bilkis Bano and killing her family during the 2002 Gujarat riots were granted early release.

Defending the decision, which had prompted massive outrage, Joshi had said the convicts had spent "quite some time" in prison and there was a provision for their release.

"When the government and the concerned people have taken the decision, I don't find anything wrong in it as it is a process of law," he had told NDTV.

READ | Union Minister Defends Freeing Of Bilkis Bano Rapists

The minister had also repeated the "good behaviour" argument that was used by the Gujarat government to justify the decision.

"After having been in prison for some time, if their behaviour...there are so many incidents, I don't want to get into that," Joshi had said.

In 2024, the early release was cancelled by the Supreme Court, which said the remission order lacked competence

Speaking to reporters outside Parliament on Tuesday, when the Lok Sabha was debating a new bill brought in by the Centre for stricter action against paper leaks, Gandhi questioned the BJP-led government's choice.

There can be no filthier type of man than one who defends rapists.

Pralhad Joshi is an insult to our education system and an insult to every student in it. Crores of young women study in the institutions he now oversees.

India's women will never accept PM Modi's new Education… pic.twitter.com/AmmuqIHhE8

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 28, 2026

"Look at the Education Minister of India, who, after all these young people were protesting about the education system..." Gandhi began, prompting his sister and fellow MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to intervene and add that "so many girls" were also agitating.

"... and so many girls are protesting. They have been beaten, they have been thrashed," Rahul Gandhi continued, adding, "The BJP puts a man who is a defender of rapists. That's the most filthy type of man. There can be no filthier man than somebody who says that rapists need protection. That is the Education Minister of India today."

"It's strange. It's a strange reaction from the Prime Minister... that there are so many people in his cabinet, he could have chosen any one of them, but he chooses a person who protects rapists. Quite amazing," he remarked.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha minutes earlier, Priyanka Gandhi also made a similar point, but her remarks were later expunged. Live Updates

Protests

Dharmendra Pradhan, who had been the Education Minister since 2021, resigned on Saturday after the Cockroach Janta Party led protests against paper leaks at Jantar Mantar in Delhi since June 20. Pradhan's stepping down was one of the main conditions of the protesters, and they called off the demonstration hours after the minister sent his resignation letter to PM Modi.

The same day, the Centre also announced that Joshi, who also holds the Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution portfolios, had been given additional charge of the Education ministry.