Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday launched a sharp attack on the Narendra Modi government and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, accusing them of insulting students by allegedly branding them as “terrorists” for demanding fair examinations and a secure future. Gandhi demanded that Pradhan apologise to the country’s youth and resign over what he described as the government’s failures in the education sector.
In a post on social media platform X, Gandhi said the government had become “intoxicated by the arrogance of power” and was targeting students instead of addressing their concerns. “The Modi government, intoxicated by the arrogance of power, has now reached a point where the Education Minister is calling students ‘terrorists’ simply for demanding their rights, fair examinations, and a secure future,” Gandhi wrote.
The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha alleged that the government was attempting to shift blame onto students despite repeated controversies over examination management and paper leaks.
“Just think about it — the very government whose failures led to so many exam paper leaks, under whose rule 20 children lost their lives, and which pushed the future of millions of young people into uncertainty, is now branding the affected students and those raising their voice for them as ‘terrorists’,” he said.
Drawing parallels with previous protests and movements, Gandhi accused the BJP-led government of routinely disparaging groups that challenge its policies.
“But this is nothing new. Farmers, the providers of our food, were called ‘professional protesters’ and ‘parasites’. Those who asked questions were labelled ‘anti-national’. And now, the youth are being called ‘terrorists’,” he said.
He further alleged that the government had adopted a political strategy of branding critics as anti-national. “Anyone who questions the government is branded anti-national — that is the essence of their politics,” Gandhi said.
Addressing the Education Minister directly, Gandhi said, “Mr. Dharmendra Pradhan, you should immediately apologise to the millions of young people in this country and resign for your failures.”
The Congress leader also reiterated his criticism of the country’s education system, arguing that it had become inaccessible and exploitative for many students.
“And as for me, you may attack me as much as you want. I said it in Kota, and I say it again: the education system today has become nothing more than an extortion mechanism. I will not allow it to remain this way,” he said.
Gandhi pledged to continue advocating for reforms aimed at ensuring affordable and quality education, as well as transparent examination processes.
“I will never stop raising my voice to ensure that every child receives affordable, quality education and has access to fair and transparent examinations,” he added.
The remarks come amid an escalating political confrontation between the Congress and the BJP over issues related to examinations, student welfare and the functioning of the education system. The opposition has repeatedly accused the government of failing to prevent paper leaks and safeguard the interests of students, while the government has defended its record and highlighted measures aimed at strengthening examination integrity and educational opportunities.