One tweet, one number after another. Paper leaks, crores of students, zero convictions. Rahul Gandhi did the math the government has spent weeks avoiding.
File Photo: IANS
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday. He called him the most youth-hostile prime minister in India’s history. His remarks came as Delhi Police detained CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and other protesters during the Sansad Chalo march.
Gandhi said Modi cannot even demand the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. He called Pradhan a failed minister. He referred to 152 paper leaks and said 7.5 crore students have been affected. He said not one guilty person has been punished so far. Instead, he said the punishment has fallen on hardworking students.
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Gandhi said students raising legitimate questions about the education system were met with batons and detention. He said those who leaked papers remain free, while students are being dragged around and beaten. He said the government is not just failing the youth. He said it is pouncing on them.
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The CJP has been protesting at Jantar Mantar since June 20. The party wants Pradhan to resign over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination. It also wants reforms in the exam system and action against those responsible for the leaks.
Monday’s march coincided with the opening day of Parliament’s Monsoon Session. Delhi Police had denied permission for the protest. Thousands still gathered and tried to march towards Parliament. Police used tear gas and lathi charges to push them back. Several protesters and police personnel were injured.
This is not Gandhi’s first comment on the issue. On Friday, he had reacted to the removal of activist Sonam Wangchuk from the protest site. Wangchuk had been on an indefinite hunger strike since June 28 in support of the CJP’s demands. He was shifted to Safdarjung Hospital after Delhi Police cited medical advice and a Delhi High Court direction.
At the time, Gandhi had said lies and violence are the core tenets of the Modi government. He had linked the protest to wider concerns, including the rising cost of education and student suicides.
Gandhi has also previously written to the Prime Minister seeking a parliamentary debate on the NEET issue. He had said more than 70 paper leaks have affected over 2 crore students in the last seven years.
The BJP has accused Gandhi of politicising the NEET issue. Party spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi had earlier alleged that Rahul Gandhi cares little for the future of students and is only playing politics over the matter.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah met Pradhan at his office in the Parliament complex on Monday. Details of their discussion were not disclosed. Separately, CJP spokespersons Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka met BJP leader JP Nadda at his residence. They submitted a written list of demands, including Pradhan’s resignation and compensation for NEET aspirants.
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