Bilkis case: Cong asks if PM Modi approved of Gujarat govt decision
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Wednesday stepped up its attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the release of the convicts in the Bilkis Bano case, asking whether he approved of the Gujarat government's decision.
The opposition party asked what action the prime minister will take against the Gujarat chief minister if the Centre's concurrence has not been sought.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the entire country is seeing the difference between the prime minister's words and deeds.
The party alleged that the Gujarat government flouted rules while releasing the convicts serving life imprisonment for rape and murder in the 2002 Gujarat riots case and demanded answers from the prime minister and Home Minister Amit Shah on whether the decision had the Centre's concurrence.
Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera told reporters that in cases where the central agencies like the CBI have investigated, the state government cannot grant remission on its own without the Centre's approval.
He also asked why some sections of the Opposition are silent on the injustice and exhorted them to come together on the issue.
"We demand an answer from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah on whether the Gujarat government had sought the Centre's concurrence before giving remission to the convicts in Bilkis Bano cape case," he told reporters.
The Congress also asked whether it was possible for the Gujarat government to approve the early release of the convicts without the knowledge and approval of Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
The Congress leader also alleged that the 1992 policy under which the Gujarat government granted remission was done away with on May 8, 2013, by Modi who was then the chief minister of Gujarat.
He also said that as per the Centre's policy of 2014, persons convicted under cases of rape and murder cannot be granted remission
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra attacked the prime minister, saying women are asking if respect for them is "only in speeches".
The BJP government in Gujarat released all the 11 people convicted for the rape of a pregnant Bilkis Bano and murder of seven of her family members during the 2002 Gujarat riots, under its remission policy.
"Those who raped a five-month pregnant woman and killed her three-year-old daughter were released during 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav'. What message is being given to the women of the country by those who peddle lies about 'Nari Shakti'?" Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.
"Prime Minister ji, the entire country is seeing the difference between your words and deeds," he said.
Priyanka Gandhi asked if the release of the criminals by the BJP government and the welcome extended to them in front of the camera is not the height of injustice and insensitivity.
"Narendra Modi ji, respect for women only in speeches? Women are asking," she said.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh tagged a tweet by the party's media department head Pawan Khera in which he shared that the latest guidelines issued by the Home Ministry on early release of prisoners mention rape and murder convicts cannot be released out of turn by the prison administration.
"Brazenly shameless. Do you really think the Gujarat Govt did the early release without knowledge and approval of PM and HM?" he tweeted.
Opposition parties on Tuesday had hit out at Prime Minister Modi over the release of the 11 convicts within hours of his praise for "Nari Shakti" in his Independence Day speech and said this is the "real face" of New India under the BJP.
A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Mumbai on January 21, 2008, had sentenced the 11 to life imprisonment on charges of gangrape and murder of seven members of Bilkis Bano's family during the 2002 Gujarat riots. Their conviction was later upheld by the Bombay High Court.
Modi, who was at that time the chief minister of Gujarat, has been persistently attacked by the Opposition over the 2002 riots which had left 790 Muslims and 254 Hindus dead while 223 more people were reported missing and another 2,500 were injured.
The riots had erupted after the Godhra train burning incident in which 59 'karsevaks' were killed.
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Rahul Gandhi joins Haryana Congress leader's 'Sadbhav Yatra' in Gurugram
Gurugram (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday joined the 'Sadbhav Yatra' of Haryana Congress leader Brijendra Singh here.
Gandhi, who is the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, reached Gurugram in the evening and joined the yatra. He also walked some distance with Brijendra, state Congress chief Rao Narender Singh and other leaders.
Huge crowds had turned up for the occasion.
Later, Gandhi proceeded to the venue where he addressed a public gathering.
Leader of Opposition in Haryana Bhupinder Singh Hooda and other Congress leaders, including Randeep Singh Surjewala, B K Hariprasad, state Congress chief Rao Narender Singh, were also present.
Brijendra Singh had on Thursday said it is a matter of joy for them that Gandhi was joining the 'Sadbhav Yatra' in Gurugram-Badshahpur, "thereby strengthening the Indian National Congress' campaign for brotherhood and harmony".
The 'Sadbhav Yatra' began from Danoda village at Narwana in Jind on October 5, 2025, and has covered 85 of the 90 assembly segments in the state.
The foot march was started by Brijendra Singh, son of Congress veteran Birender Singh, to highlight several national and regional issues.
State Congress chief Rao Narender Singh had asked all party leaders to take part in Friday's event.
Days before his yatra began in October, Brijendra Singh, who narrowly lost the 2024 assembly polls from Jind's Uchana Kalan, accused the ruling BJP of playing "divisive politics" and said that "sadbhav" (harmony) has come under stress in the last decade.
Brijendra Singh was a sitting MP from Hisar for the BJP when he resigned ahead of the 2024 general election and switched over to the Congress. He also alleged that the saffron party creates a wedge in society to achieve its political purpose.
The 'padyatra' has so far covered 85 assembly constituencies in Haryana, traversing more than 2,700 kilometres.
Addressing the public gathering, Brijendra Singh said the yatra is inspired by Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra, where he took the party's vision and values directly to the people of the country.
Singh said the yatra has highlighted issues like "Vote Chori" (vote theft), unemployment, poor law and order situation, agrarian distress, and issues related to government employees, labourers and traders.
"Sadbhav (harmony) and bhaichara (brotherhood), which the BJP is attempting to weaken, are the messages of this yatra," he said, adding that its slogan is "Congress ka haath bhaichara ka saath".
"This yatra is a natural extension of the Bharat Jodo Yatra," Brijendra Singh said.
