'Rahul Gandhi lacks facts, silent on Jharkhand': Dharmendra Pradhan attacks Congress over Parliament disruptions

Former Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday hit out at Congress and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, accusing the party of "spreading lies" and questioning Gandhi’s silence over violence against students in Jharkhand.

On Monday, Gandhi demanded that Home Minister Amit Shah make a statement in Parliament on police action against protesters at Jantar Mantar.

"Congress is continuously spreading lies regarding students' interests; @RahulGandhi lacks facts, and the Leader of Opposition, who habitually lies, neither wants to come to Parliament nor listen to answers. They just want to spread their lies and shed crocodile tears," Pradhan said in a post on X.

Don't Miss: Jharkhand job exam row: Protestors reach Assembly after police action, Rahul Gandhi slams use of force

‘WHY IS RAHUL GANDHI SILENT?’

Pradhan also accused Gandhi and Congress of making "baseless, false accusations" against Shah and said the government was ready to discuss every issue in Parliament.

He alleged that Congress was obstructing Parliament and putting its political interests ahead of the country and the youth.

Pradhan then targeted Gandhi over the situation in Jharkhand.

"The brutality against students in Jharkhand has been witnessed by the entire country. But the question is, why is Rahul Gandhi, who holds press conferences on every issue, maintaining silence today?" he said.

He accused Congress of following a "selective" approach to democracy, alleging that the party resorts to violence against youth where it is in government and "lies and commotion" where it wants political attention.

"The youth of the country have fully understood this duplicitous character of the Congress," Pradhan said.

BJP SAYS RAHUL GANDHI IS ‘RUNNING AWAY’

Pradhan's attack came a day after Union Minister JP Nadda also targeted Gandhi over disruptions in Parliament. Nadda accused the Opposition leader of deliberately disrupting Parliament for 15 days and misleading the country.

The Health Minister said the government had agreed to discuss the NEET paper leak issue in Parliament after Gandhi demanded it, but alleged that Gandhi then changed his demand.

"Gandhi was demanding a statement from Home Minister Amit Shah on the Jantar Mantar protest. When the home minister agreed to his demand, the Congress leader changed his goalpost and started demanding a discussion on the alleged embezzlement of Ram temple donation," Nadda said.

He urged Gandhi to participate in a discussion in Parliament. "Why is he running away from the discussion? I want to state clearly: Rahul Gandhi, do not run away from the discussion. We are ready. We are prepared to discuss every issue inside the House. Do not run away," Nadda told reporters in New Delhi.

Pradhan also accused Congress of having an "Emergency era" mindset and said there was no place for dictatorship in a democracy. "Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party, which operates on the mindset of the Emergency era, should understand this well," he said.