PM Modi not asked to apologize for similar remark as Rahul: Balasaheb Thorat

Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat on Saturday asked why Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not asked to apologize when he passed a similar remark as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

"Why would Rahul Gandhi apologize? Modi ji had also passed a similar remark about the national capital but no one asked him to apologize," Thorat told ANI.

Addressing a poll rally in Jharkhand on Thursday, Gandhi had said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched 'Make in India' but nowadays it is 'Rape in India'.

A day later, the Congress leader refused to apologize for his comment, saying that the issue is being raised by the BJP to deflect the attention of the people from protests in the North-East over Citizen (Amendment) Act.

"I will not apologize... I have a clip in my phone in which Narendra Modi ji is calling Delhi a 'rape capital', will tweet it so that everyone can see. The main issue is Narendra Modi and Amit Shah set northeast on fire. Just to deflect attention from protests in North East, this is being made an issue by BJP," Gandhi had said.

He had also said that the incidents of rape were being reported from different parts of India as the incidents were happening everywhere.

"In Unnao, BJP MLA raped a woman. The accident of the victim was orchestrated. Narendra Modi did not say anything. Modi spread violence and now it is everywhere in the country," he said.

Both houses of Parliament on Friday witnessed uproar as BJP members demanded an apology from the former Congress president.

Union Minister Smriti Irani has also approached the Election Commission of India (ECI) seeking strong action against Gandhi for allegedly using crimes against women as a political tool.