What is the big deal if I was pushed, it is our job to protect the country, says Congress leader Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who was pushed to the ground while marching towards the Hathras gangrape victim’s house in Uttar Pradesh last week, has said that his fall was not a big deal as the "whole country is being pushed to a corner" by the government.

Taking a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre, the former president of the Congress party said on October 6, "The whole country is being pushed to a corner and being beaten up. What is the big deal if I was pushed? It is our job to protect the country; we must stand with the farmers. The government is such that if we stand up against them, we will be pushed. Dhakka kha lenge, lathi kha lenge (we will bear with the attacks)."

An NDTV report quoted Rahul Gandhi as saying: “Jo unimaginable dhakka laga, wo us parivar ko laga (The actual jolt was felt by the Hathras victim’s family)."

Rahul Gandhi further told reporters that only people who have daughters will understand what the Dalit family in Hathras is going through. He added, "I went to meet the victim’s family so they don’t feel alone" and said that he will stand by and help all women who have been victims of sexual violence.

Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had visited the Hathras victim’s family on October 3, four days after she succumbed to her injuries at Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital. The two Congress leaders were finally allowed to meet the victim’s family two days after they were stopped short during their march towards the village of Boolgarhi.

A day after the visuals of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi being pushed to the ground had gone viral, Trinamool leader Derek O’Brien was also manhandled on his way to the victim’s family in a similar way.