“A humiliating defeat in 2014 has drilled sense into us and we have learnt from that defeat,” Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi said, while on his campaign tour in central Gujarat as part of his Navsarjan Yatra ahead of the Assembly elections in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home State.

Interacting with students in Vadodara on Tuesday, he admitted that the defeat had helped him a lot and drilled a sense in them (the Congress). “They beat me, abused me, thrashed me. That opened my eyes…,” he said.

‘Save the boy scheme’

Continuing his attacks on Mr. Modi’s silence on BJP president Amit Shah’s son, Jay Shah, whose business growth has been questioned, Mr. Gandhi said: “After Beti Bachao [Save the girl Child], the PM has launched Beta Bachao [Save the boy] scheme.” That explained his silence on how the firm of the party president’s son saw a rapid rise after the BJP came to power.

Striking an emotional chord during his interaction with students in Vadodara, the Congress scion said, “I will tell you something personal. My father was killed by Tamil Tiger Prabakaran. When Prabakaran was killed and I saw his body, I didn’t know why but I felt very sad and guilty. I told Priyanka that I felt sad after seeing Prabakaran’s body and she also said the same. She also felt sad at his murder, his son’s murder.”

“These are my family’s values. We know what it means to face murder and killing,” Mr. Gandhi said.

However, his remark calling the RSS anti-women created a controversy.

“How many women are there in their organisation RSS? Have you seen any woman in a shakha wearing shorts,” Mr. Gandhi asked, saying women had no place in the RSS.

Immediately after his remarks in Vadodara, the BJP hit out at him.

“He should apologise to all women. He insulted women with his indecent remark,” said former Chief Minister Anandiben Patel.