Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of appointing Pralhad Joshi as Education Minister despite Joshi having earlier defended rapists in a television interview. Gandhi said Modi could have chosen any other cabinet member but deliberately picked someone who 'protects rapists.' The remark sparked an immediate rebuttal from the Bharatiya Janata Party, which accused Gandhi of distorting facts. BJP spokesperson Anil Baluni stated that Joshi had merely commented on the legal remission process and had not defended any perpetrator. Baluni alleged that Gandhi was resorting to personal attacks to divert attention from policy issues. The exchange marks the latest political clash between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress over ministerial appointments. Joshi, a senior BJP leader from Karnataka, was named Education Minister in the latest cabinet reshuffle. Neither side provided further evidence or clarification regarding the specific interview referenced by Gandhi. The controversy has drawn attention to past remarks by several ministers, though no official response has come from Joshi himself.