Patiala (Punjab): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said when the whole country was being thrashed, it was not a big deal that he got pushed a little while en route to meet the Hathras victim's family.
"When the whole country is being pushed, thrashed, what if I got pushed a little, it's not a big deal. It doesn't matter. It is our job to protect the public and farmers. It is such type of government that if you stand up to it you will get pushed, you will be beaten with lathis. We are ready for it," Gandhi said.
"The real push, the unimaginable one, was given to the family (of the Hathras victim). That is why I wanted to meet them. I wanted that family to know that they are not alone. I told them I was there for the lakhs of females who are misbehaved with daily, who are raped," he added further slamming the Prime Minister's silence over the issue and the attitude of the administration in Uttar Pradesh (UP).
Gandhi, along with his sister and Congress general secretary and in-charge of Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, was manhandled and arrested by UP Police when they were marching to meet the family of Hathras gangrape victim, who died while undergoing treatment in a hospital in the national capital.
Gandhi said this during a press conference, which was also attended by leaders including, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and party leaders Randeep Singh Surjewala, Harish Rawat and Punjab Congress Chief Sunil Jakhar over the party's 'Kheti Bachao Yatra'.
He further also flayed the Centre and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the farm laws, demonetisation, GST, COVID-19 management and the issue of Chinese incursion in Eastern Ladakh.
Read: Modi's 'kaala kanoon' will destroy farming structure: Rahul Gandhi
"Narendra Modi said nobody has taken Indian land. He told this to Opposition leaders. China has taken 1,200 sq km of our land, how could they do so? China did so because it knows that the person sitting at the top only protects his image, for saving his image he will handover 1,200 sq km of land to us. The whole country knows this, any Army soldier, General will tell you this," Gandhi said.
"My assessment is that Narendra Modi doesn't understand the farm laws," Gandhi said.
He also refuted the Shiromani Akali Dal's accusations over him not being present in the Parliament when the three bills were passed by saying that he was fulfilling his duty of a son.
Gandhi had kickstarted the 'Kheti Bachao Yatra' in Punjab on Sunday to protest against the recently enacted agriculture reform laws brought by the Centre.
He is further slated to arrive in Haryana and conduct roadshows and attend rallies against the laws.
Also Read: Rahul Gandhi to hold 'Kisan Bachao Yatra' in Haryana
(ANI)
