“We have marched to PM Modi’s house to demand answers from him for the brutalities against young students yesterday. The Government doesn’t want to take any accountability nor does it want to have a debate on it in Parliament. PM and HM must resign for destroying the future of India’s youth,” Rahul Gandhi posted on X.
The protest took place on the second day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, a day after clashes between Delhi Police and CJP supporters during the organisation’s march towards Parliament left several protesters injured.
The confrontation has intensified the political dispute between the opposition and the government over alleged irregularities in the country’s examination and education system. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress general secretaries Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and KC Venugopal, along with several other party MPs, participated in the protest with Rahul Gandhi.
A Congress leader said Rahul Gandhi decided to move towards the Prime Minister’s residence after the Lok Sabha Speaker did not provide the Opposition an opportunity to raise the issue in Parliament. A person familiar with the matter said Rahul Gandhi told MPs, “Let’s go and wake the Prime Minister on this issue.”Rahul Gandhi Accuses Government of Suppressing Student Voices
Before proceeding with the protest, Rahul Gandhi addressed reporters outside Parliament and accused the central government of using police force to suppress students raising genuine concerns.
“The entire country knows the education system and testing system are broken; it has ceased to exist. The testing system has been hollowed out by termites. That is all they are saying. We have been saying it too. I have been giving presentation after presentation about this. Why is the Prime Minister silent?” Gandhi said.
He alleged that the Opposition had approached the Lok Sabha Speaker seeking a discussion on student-related issues but was told that permission from the government was required to hold a debate.
“We went to the Speaker and said, ‘Look, we want to discuss the student issue,’ and the Speaker told us that to hold a discussion, he has to ask the government. Do you understand what this means? The Speaker is telling us that to debate in Parliament, he has to take permission from the government,” Gandhi said.
Calling the police response “un-Indian”, Gandhi said students deserved better treatment and claimed that young people were facing a lack of opportunities.
“The point is this is no way to treat the young people of this country. The young people of this country do not have opportunities; all the doors are closed; one door is open for competitive exams, which is also destroyed. These students here are complaining not just about the education system but their future,” he said.
Rahul Gandhi further alleged that the country’s education system had been taken over by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the parent organisation of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, and accused the Modi government of favouring industrialists over students.
“This is much bigger than education. This is students of India saying they have no future in India. This is legitimate. Dharmendra Pradhan, the home minister and the Prime Minister should resign,” he said.
After addressing the media, Rahul Gandhi, accompanied by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Congress general secretary KC Venugopal, visited Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital to meet protesters injured during Monday’s clashes. Later, they proceeded to Lok Kalyan Marg, earlier known as Race Course Road, for the protest.
CJP Representatives Meet JP Nadda Over Demands
Meanwhile, two representatives of the Cockroach Janata Party, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, met Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Monday and submitted the organisation’s demands in writing following the protest.
The protest arrangements at Jantar Mantar were dismantled after the clashes, while prohibitory orders under Section 163 remained in force in parts of central Delhi, restricting gatherings of five or more people.
However, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke continued his sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar and reiterated that the agitation would continue until Dharmendra Pradhan resigns.
The developments have transformed the student-led protest into a major political confrontation, with the Opposition demanding accountability from the government over police action, examination-related concerns and the future of young aspirants across the country.
About The Author
Comment List