Chaos erupted in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday after Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for appointing Pralhad Joshi as the new education minister, saying he had supported the release of the rapists of a pregnant woman.
Speaking in the Parliament, Gandhi said, “Prime Minister Modi chose a new Education Minister (Pralhad Joshi) and appointed a person to this position who had expressed support for the release of the rapists of a pregnant woman. What message has the Prime Minister sent to the crores of girls in this country through this decision? The message is loud and clear. There is no ambiguity about it…”
Gandhi’s comments ensued chaos in the Parliament, with Union minister Kiren Rijiju demanding an apology over her comments. He said that her comments amount to “character assassination” of Pralhad and urged the House to expunge her statement from the record.
“When Smt Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was speaking earlier, she was interrupted in the House. We have faced such interruptions in the past. But today, we are listening peacefully. However, the remarks made by her amounted to character assassination, and we did not expect such language from her.”
“The objectionable remarks made by her should be expunged from the records. Secondly, such language should not be used… She is a senior leader of her party, though she has been elected for the first time. She should speak responsibly. If she cannot maintain the dignity of the House, then I believe she should apologise to the House,” he added.
Gandhi’s swipe at PM Modi
The Congress MP also took a swipe at PM Modi, saying that he will need to change the angle of his heart, not camera to gain the trust of Gen Z.
“If you want to win over the Gen Z, then making videos with different camera angles will not help. The prime minister needs to change the angle of his heart, not the angle of cameras,” she said.
“This generation is aware, understands issues, and has an immense ability to recognise falsehoods. To win their hearts and minds, you will have to embrace the truth. Under your government, this young generation has faced grave injustice and brutality. Accept this truth; avoiding responsibility will not work. Honourable Prime Minister, you will have to take responsibility and take concrete steps,” she added.
Gandhi further criticised the government for using force against the protesting students, and said that PM Modi and home minister Amit Shah must answer as to who authorised the use of “pellet guns” and “AK-47s” on protesting students.
“Every ‘lathi’ blow on any boy or girl, hit the government’s prestige more than the back of students,” she said.
Students can be removed from streets but not their questions, she added.
The house was discussing the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 on Tuesday. The bill, which hikes fines and punishment for those convicted of examination paper leaks, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday amid protests by the Opposition that sought to corner the government over police violence during the recent student protests.
