In his first reaction to the ongoing protests demanding his resignation, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday accused Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi of “exploiting” students as political tools to disrupt Parliament proceedings during the Monsoon Session.
In a lengthy social media post that came a day after thousands of students attempted to march towards Parliament demanding his resignation over alleged paper leaks and student suicides, Pradhan didn’t mention the massive Cockroach Janta Party protest at Jantar Mantar.
He, however, slammed Rahul Gandhi for his dharna outside the PM’s house over the alleged police brutality against students during yesterday’s Parliament march.
“Shri @RahulGandhi and @INCIndia chose to stage a dharna outside the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s residence, causing inconvenience to the public and disregarding established security protocols,”
“LoP Shri @RahulGandhi and @INCIndia continue to shamelessly exploit students as political tools to manufacture disruption during the Monsoon Session of Parliament. Shri @RahulGandhi and @INCIndia chose to stage a dharna outside the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s residence , causing inconvenience to the public and disregarding established security protocols,” Pradhan said.
Pradhan said that the Congress chose “political spectacle over democratic debate” even after the government conveyed its readiness for a comprehensive discussion on the issue. “Their objective was never solutions for students, it was disruption for political headlines.”
He further remarked that Rahul Gandhi is not concerned about students. For the Congress leader, Pradhan said, “this is about manufacturing confrontation after every genuine avenue for discussion has been opened.”
The education minister reiterated that the government is committed to discussing NEET and addressing every genuine concern of the youth on the floor of the House.
“The students of India deserve far better than being treated as props in a political campaign. They deserve certainty over chaos, solutions over slogans and responsibility over disruption,” he said.
Pradhan said that the students deserve more than outrage. “We owe them answers, reforms and accountability. That is exactly what our government remains committed to delivering.”