Rahul Gandhi and PM Modi trade barbs over Rafale debate and the defence minister

Congress president Rahul Gandhi, at a rally in Rajasthan on Wednesday, ridiculed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for leaving it to a woman, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, to defend the government in the parliamentary debate on Rafale. Modi hit back at a rally in Agra, accusing Gandhi of insulting the country’s first woman defence minister.

The exchange

Gandhi said the chowkidar with the 56-inch chest had fled and asked Sitharaman to defend him because he could not defend himself. He also attacked the Prime Minister over the Rafale deal.

Responding in Agra, Modi said a daughter of India was defence minister for the first time, and that she had silenced the opposition on Rafale in Parliament and shown up their falsehoods. He said the opposition was insulting the power of India’s women.

Later that evening Gandhi replied on Twitter. “Stop shaking, Be a man,” he wrote.

What happened next

In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, held from 11 April to 19 May, the BJP won 303 of 543 seats and the Congress 52. Narendra Modi was sworn in for a second term on 30 May 2019.

See also: Bharatiya Janata Party · Indian National Congress

Originally published on 10 January 2019. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.

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