Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi invited fresh trouble over his remarks made during a party meeting in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, on Tuesday. While addressing Congress workers, Gandhi used the phrase “langda ghoda” or lame horse, which sparked outrage from a disability rights group in Rajasthan. The group has filed a formal complaint against Rahul Gandhi, stating that his comment is offensive to persons with disabilities and mocks them.
The Divyang Adhikar Mahasangh, based in Jaipur, filed formal complaint regarding this statement with the Central Election Commission, the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, and the Rajasthan Police on Wednesday.
The organisation is demanding strict action against Rahul Gandhi, arguing that even the Election Commission’s guidelines prohibit the use of terms like “lame,” “crippled,” “mute,” and “deaf,” as they are derogatory and hurtful to persons with disabilities.
Hemant Goyal, president of the advocacy group, said that action must be taken against Rahul Gandhi in this matter. He further stated that if authorities fail to act on these complaints, they will approach the court to seek justice. He slammed Gandhi’s remark as condemnable and a violation of existing rules, saying that the remark was not only disrespectful to the PwDs, but also violated the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.
During the event, Rahul Gandhi had said that he was adding a third category of horse—the “langda ghoda”— to the already two known types used in weddings and races.
The complaint filed against Rahul Gandhi highlights that he holds a constitutional position and if a public figure uses such language, it can set a negative example for others. According to Hemant Goyal, about 3% of the country’s population falls under the category of persons with disabilities. Shashank, a person with a disability, also expressed that Rahul Gandhi’s remark was deeply hurtful.
