Mr Gandhi's comments that the ordinance to shield convicted lawmakers was "complete nonsense" had created a political storm.
Rahul Gandhi today strongly defended his sharp public denouncement of the ordinance on convicted lawmakers, which embarrassed the PM, with a counter question for his critics: "Is there ever a right time to speak the truth?"
Speaking at a public function today, he raised the ordinance controversy and said, "If you choose a right time to speak the truth, then it becomes a lie."
The Congress vice-president's comments that the ordinance to shield convicted lawmakers was "complete nonsense" and it should be "torn up and thrown away" had created a political storm.
While the government withdrew the ordinance, the BJP accused Rahul Gandhi of undermining the Prime Minister's authority at a time he was on an international stage. Arun Jaitley, the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, had said the Prime Minister should step down as Rahul's comments had made his position untenable.
The Prime Minister too had expressed his displeasure when he told a group of journalists, who were traveling with him on board Air India One, that he would ask Rahul why it had to be done the way it was done.
"My mother told me that I had used strong words but what I said was not wrong," Rahul said last week in an informal interaction with journalists in Ahmedabad.
However, today the Congress vice-president chose to defend his views at a public function, organized by the Delhi Balmiki Samaj.
Mr Gandhi also launched a blistering attack on the Opposition, saying, "Our opposition does not understand the problems of the poor. They don't go to their homes and hold their hands or discuss their problems," he said adding, "And then they speak of India shining and lost the polls. They lost it in 2004, in 2009 and will lose again in 2014."