Speaking in Lok Sabha on the Opposition’s no-confidence motion, Union Home Minister Amit Shah poked fun at Rahul Gandhi and reminded the House of the Congress MP’s much-publicized 2008 visit to the home of a widow, Kalavati Bandurkar, in Maharashtra’s Vidarbha.
In his statement, Mr. Shah heard saying “There is a leader in this House whose political career has been launched 13 times till now. And all 13 attempts have failed. I have seen one of the launches in this House.
“This leader visited the home of a less-fortunate woman, Kalavati, and had a meal at her home. He then spoke about poverty and her hardships in the House. Their government was in power for 6 years after this. I want to ask, what did you do for her? The Modi government gave her a house, electricity, gas, ration, and toilet.”
For unversed, Kalavati rose to prominence after Rahul Gandhi mentioned her in his Parliament speech in 2008. Her farmer husband committed suicide in 2005 after being unable to repay his loans.
She had been living in her country house without electricity her entire life, he explained, and he used her tale to demonstrate how India’s nuclear pact with America will help provide power to rural India.
After hearing to the claims of the Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Kalavati Bandurkar came forward as she refutes to these claims. Farm widow Kalavati called Union home minister Amit Shah’s assertion that the Congress did nothing for her a “absolute lie” on Thursday.
