Rahul Graduated From Harvard, Cambridge But They Call Him 'Pappu': Priyanka Slams BJP

New Delhi: Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday (Match 26, 2023) slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for calling her brother Rahul Gandhi a "pappu". Addressing a gathering of Congress leaders at Rajghat -- the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi -- to protest against Rahul's conviction in a 2019 defamation case and his subsequent disqualification from the Lok Sabha, Priyanka said that a martyred prime minister's son who walked thousands of kilometres for national unity can never insult the country.

"Rahul Gandhi has completed graduated from two of the world's most prestigious institutions -- Harvard and Cambridge University -- and you call him 'Pappu'... But later they got to know that he is not a 'Pappu' and that lakhs of people are walking with him in the (Bharat Jodo) Yatra and that he is honest and understands the issues of common people... They got scared because Rahul Gandhi was raising the questions in the Parliament that they don't have the answers to..." Priyanka said.

#WATCH | Rahul Gandhi completed his education in two of world's most prestigious institutions, Harvard & Cambridge University & they started calling him 'Pappu', but later got to know that he is not a 'Pappu', he is honest & understands the issues of common people:Priyanka Gandhi pic.twitter.com/0hNz3gX5Sp — ANI (@ANI) March 26, 2023

"Time has come and we are not the ones who will remain silent anymore," she told the gathering at the "Sankalp Satyagraha" outside Rajghat.

Asking if a martyred prime minister's son can insult the country, Priyanka said, "This is an insult to that prime minister who gave his life."

"My family's blood has nurtured democracy in this country. We are ready to do anything for this country's democracy. Great leaders of the Congress laid the foundation of democracy in this country. If they think they can scare us, they are wrong. We will not be scared," she said.

"You have called a martyr's son anti-national, Mir Jafar, insulted his mother in Parliament. The prime minister in Parliament asks why this family does not use the 'Nehru' surname. You insult the entire family and the tradition of Kashmiri Pandits... But there is no case against you. You don't get a case or a two-year term and no one disqualifies you. Why?" she asked.

शानदार!

वर्ल्ड महिला बॉक्सिंग चैपिंयनशिप में हमारी बहनों ने परचम लहराया है। नीतू घणघस और स्वीटी बूरा ने गोल्ड जीतकर इतिहास रच दिया। ढेर सारी बधाई एवं शुभकामनाएं। ये हम सबके लिए गौरव का क्षण है।

जय हिंद। pic.twitter.com/a8g6pmDMwT — Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) March 25, 2023

She said the time had come to raise a voice against an "arrogant government" as barring Rahul Gandhi from contesting elections does not bode well for the country and its democracy.

Priyanka alleged that Rahul Gandhi was disqualified for questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi on industrialist Gautam Adani and that people will give a befitting reply to those behind the action.

"This country's prime minister is a coward. Take me to jail but the truth is this country's prime minister is a coward. He is hiding behind his power and (he) is arrogant. But this country's tradition is that people reply to an arrogant king. This country recognises an arrogant king. This country knows the truth," she said.

Rahul Gandhi was disqualified from the Lok Sabha on Friday, a day after a court in Gujarat's Surat convicted him in the defamation case.

The disqualification will prevent the four-time MP from contesting elections for eight years unless a higher court stays the conviction.