Opposition parties will shout #MeToo if Congress deceives Grand Alliance: Rajnath Singh

Hyderabad, Oct 27: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh used the #Metoo analogy to warn Opposition parties from entering into an alliance with the Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha elections next year.

While addressing a BJP youth event in Hyderabad on Saturday, the minister explained "whichever party has aligned with the Congress has failed". "Let's hope all opposition parties don't form an alliance with the Congress only to be betrayed later. They might be forced to start their own #MeToo campaign against the Congress," the Home Minister said in Hyderabad today, making a reference to the movement that has empowered women to call out their harassers at workplaces.

"Jo bhi Congress ke saath gaya, usko mitne se duniya ki koi taakat nahi bacha paayi. Baad mein kahin aise haalat na ho jaayein, saari vipakshi partiyan gathbandhan kar lein aur bad mein jab Congress se dhoka kha jaayein, toh #MeToo campaign chalane ke liye majboor ho jaayein ("Anyone who has aligned with Congress has failed in the political field. Later on, a situation should not arise when the alliance parties are deceived by the Congress and are forced to scream #MeToo)," Rajnath Singh said.

The Union minister is heading a panel of Group of Ministers (GoM) to strengthen the legal and institutional frameworks to deal with and prevent sexual harassment at the workplace.

On Wednesday, the government formed the panel to recommend action required for effective implementation of the existing provisions, as well as for strengthening the existing legal and institutional frameworks.

With the #Metoo movement gaining momentum, Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi had earlier expressed her solidarity with the campaign and assured that her ministry would set up a committee of senior judicial and legal persons to look into issues of sexual harassment.