'Students are not terrorists': Rahul Gandhi steps up attack on Govt, seeks Pradhan's exit, PM's apology
Gandhi reiterated the demands, which include the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, action against policemen who 'assaulted' protesters during the CJP march in Delhi on Monday and an apology by P
Gandhi reiterated the demands, which include the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, action against policemen who 'assaulted' protesters during the CJP march in Delhi on Monday and an apology by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to students.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday stepped up his attack on the Union government, extending support to students protesting under the banner of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).
Gandhi reiterated the demands, which include the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, action against policemen who 'assaulted' protesters during the CJP march in Delhi on Monday and an apology by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to students.
“The question is why is this happening to our students. What exactly have our students done? They have security forces aiming weapons at them. What have they done wrong?” Gandhi said during a press conference on Wednesday, a day after he was detained from outside the official residence of PM Modi during a protest.
“They are protesting peacefully, they are asking for demands, they are asking for what this country owes them. They are simply asking that listen as students of the country we deserve an education system that us fair. Children have committed suicide. Our students go through unlimited stress and at the the last minute they are told that the paper has leaked,” Gandhi said on Wednesday without naming CJP.
Rahul Gandhi claimed that roughly 152 paper leaks have taken place in India over the last ten years, affecting over 7.5 crore students, accusing the Union government of destroying the education system, which once used to be India's valuable asset.
“There have been suicides. Students have demanded Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation. It is a legitimate demand. Second demand is about videos that you just saw. Students are being beaten up. They are not terrorists. They are our future. The third demand is that those responsible for all this (PM Modi) should apologise to students. We are 100 per cent supporting every student and we are going to ensure that you are protected,” Gandhi said in the press conference.
India's education system is rigged
The Congress leader said that the education system of India is rigged. “It's not just that the system is rigged, it's that the system is unaffordable. This is a statistic that every youngster knows, but somehow the Government of India doesn't. One exam costs the families who take this exam the same amount of money as our entire education budget,” he said.
The government of India, after collecting all the taxes, spends money on the future of our children, he said. “That money goes into something called the education budget. It is ₹1.4 lakh crores. At the same time every year, ₹1.32 lakh crore similar amount is spent by the families who are taking the NEET exam. This is pure theft from these families, nothing else. And then after you steal from them, you tell them that there's a paper leak. The thing is rigged. So this is the second reason and legitimate reason why our youngsters are outside,” he said.
On Tuesday, Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi surprised the Union government by staging a sit-in protest near Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence.
The protest was unprecedented in that no Leader of the Opposition has in recent times staged a protest on the high-security stretch – Lok Kalyan Marg, earlier known as Race Course Road – which houses the official residence of the prime minister.
It's not just that the system is rigged, it's that the system is unaffordable.
After several years of protests, Rahul Gandhi was taken to the Chhatrasal Stadium, while Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was taken to the Mandir Marg police station. Former Congress President Sonia Gandhi visited Priyanka Gandhi at the police station. Gandhi's siblings were released around 9 PM.
“Do whatever you want to do. The government's allegations have no consequences for me. I want to keep the focus on students and their issues. I do not care what they do to me,” Gandhi said when asked about his detention during Tuesday's protest.
About the Author
Gulam Jeelani
Gulam Jeelani is Political Desk Editor at LiveMint with over 16 years of experience covering national and international politics. Based in New Delhi, Jeelani delivers impactful political narratives through breaking stories, in-depth interviews, and analytical pieces at LiveMint since February 2024. The expertise in video production fuels his current responsibilities, which include curating content and conducting video interviews for an expanding digital audience.
Jeelani also travels during elections and key political events and has covered assembly elections in key states apart from national elections. He has previously worked with The Pioneer, Network18, India Today, News9Plus and Hindustan Times.
Jeelani’s tenure at LiveMint and previous experience at print and digital newsrooms have honed his skills in creating compelling text and video stories, explainers, and analysis that resonate with a diverse viewership.
Before moving to New Delhi in 2015, Jeelani was based in Uttar Pradesh, where he worked for five years as a reporter. In 2018, Jeelani was one of the two Indian journalists selected for the Alfred Friendly Fellowship in the US. There, he attended training workshops on reporting and data journalism, and he was attached to the Minneapolis Star Tribune in Minnesota, where he worked as a reporter.
Jeelani is a Bachelor's in Chemistry and holds a Masters Degree in journalism and mass communication from Aligarh Muslim University. Outside work, he enjoys poetry, cricket and movies.
Source: Livemint — Politics
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