Rape is a political issue, will raise it: Rahul
Bengaluru, May 10: Countering Prime Minister Narendra Modi who said incidents of rape should not be politicised, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said rape is a political issue and his party would continue to raise them.
Commenting on Modi questioning the Congress for politicising rapes by holding a candle light march, Gandhi said: "Excuse me, atrocities against women, rapes are political issues. Who says it is not a political issue. It is absolutely a national issue."
"Are you telling me that if India's women are raped, politicians should not discuss it? It is an issue that is fundamental," he said during a press briefing here and added that the Congress will keep on raising them.
"The treatment of our women is absolutely an issue. Modi likes to discuss things like sea planes, which is a political issue, I guess... bullet trains."
Gandhi said Modi is raking up such issues as he doesn't like to discuss the fundamental issues in Karnataka.
"What are the issues in Karnataka? They are pretty simple. Helping the farmers -- we have given Rs 8,000 crore to the farmers. How much money has the Prime Minister given to the farmers of India and that of Karnataka. I want to ask that question.
"He gives Rs 250,000 crore to the richest 15 people in this country.How much has the Prime Minister given (to the farmers)... zero."
Accusing Modi of not giving "even one rupee" in debt waiver to the farmers, he said: "This is something to be ashamed of. That is another political issue. But Modi doesn't like to raise it."
Attacking the Prime Minister on corruption, Gandhi said it's a fundamental political issue.
"Our Prime Minister comes and says he fights corruption. Well on his stage is Mr (B.S.) Yeddyurappa, his Chief Ministerial candidate, who has spent time in jail for corruption and stealing from the people of Karnataka."
"On the other side Reddy brothers, who stole as much money from Karnataka as the Congress party gave for MGNREGA -- Rs 35,000 crore. They have stolen this much money from your pockets and fleeced you," he added.
He said Modi should answer why in none of his speeches he doesn’t talk about the eight seats he has given to the Reddy brothers.
"Why he doesn't explain to the people as to why the CBI has become the Central Bureau of Illegal Mining and is being used to protect these people. These are the issues," Gandhi said.
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India harbouring big and bold dreams in space sector: Shubhanshu Shukla
Kolkata (PTI): Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian astronaut to go to the International Space Station, on Wednesday said the country is harbouring “big and bold dreams”, foraying into human spaceflight after a hiatus of 41 years.
Shukla was the first Indian to visit the International Space Station as part of the Axiom-4 mission. He returned to India from the US on August 17, 2025, after the 18-day mission.
The space is a “great place to be”, marked by deep peace and an “amazing view” that becomes more captivating with time, he said, interacting with schoolchildren at an event organised by the Indian Centre for Space Physics here.
“The longer you stay, the more you enjoy it,” Shukla said, adding on a lighter note that he “actually kind of did not want to come back”.
Shukla said the hands-on experience in space was very different from what he had learnt during training.
He said the future of India’s space science was “very bright”, with the country harbouring “very big and bold dreams”.
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Shukla described his ISS flight, undertaken with support from the US, as a crucial “stepping stone” towards realising India’s ‘Vision Gaganyaan’.
“The experience gained is a national asset. It is already being used by internal committees and design teams to ensure ongoing missions are on the right track,” he said.
Shukla said the country’s space ambitions include the Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme, the Bharatiya Station (India’s own space station), and eventually a human landing on the Moon.
While the Moon mission is targeted for 2040, he said these projects are already in the pipeline, and the field will evolve at a “very rapid pace” over the next 10-20 years.
He told the students that though these targets are challenging, they are “achievable by people like you”, urging them to take ownership of India’s aspirations.
The sector will generate “a lot of employment opportunities” as India expands its human spaceflight capabilities, he noted.
Echoing the iconic words of India’s first astronaut Rakesh Sharma, Shukla said that from orbit, “India is still the best in the world”.
Shukla also asserted that the achievement was not his alone, but that of the entire country.
“The youth of India are extremely talented. They must stay focused, remain curious and work hard. It is their responsibility to help build a developed India by 2047,” he said.
Highlighting a shift from Sharma’s era, Shukla said India is now developing a full-fledged astronaut ecosystem.
With Gaganyaan and future missions, children in India will be able to not only dream of becoming astronauts, but also achieving it within the country, he said.
“Space missions help a village kid believe he can go to space someday. When you send one person to space, you lift million hopes. That is why such programmes must continue... The sky is not the limit,” Shukla said.
“Scientists must prepare for systems that will last 20-30 years, while ensuring they can integrate technologies that will emerge a decade from now,” he said.
Shukla added that he looked forward to more space missions, and was keen to undertake a space walk, which will require him to "train for another two years".
