Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has accused the Centre of refusing to allow a Parliamentary discussion on the police brutality against youth protesting over exam paper leaks and student suicides. He now demands the resignation of education minister Dharmendra Pradhan and home minister Amit Shah.
Event Context
“I said to him that it was important that we be allowed to debate what happened to the students the day before. The speaker said he needed to take permission from the government, but it was very clear to us… that there was no interest in the government of having a debate,” Gandhi said.
The protest lasted for more than three hours before Delhi Police removed the leaders and detained them. Gandhi was taken to Chhatrasal Stadium and released around 10 pm, while Priyanka Gandhi was taken to Mandir Marg police station and released around 9:45 pm, HT reported earlier.
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The ‘Chalo Sansad’ protest, organised by the Cockroach Janta Party on July 20, saw thousands of protesters marching from Jantar Mantar towards the Parliament building in Delhi. Delhi Police stopped the march using multiple layers of barricades around central Delhi.
Tear gas shells were fired at protesters as crowds tried to push through barricades. Several people were lathi-charged by the cops. Videos shared online showed people bleeding out of their heads. Police told HT that protesters pelted stones.
Officials at a government hospital confirmed to HT that “at least 100” protesters were being treated for injuries. About 60 were injured, the police said. A 22-year-old woman injured during the police crackdown on the protest remains in the ICU at Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital, her family told HT.
Team Analysis
The Congress and other opposition leaders on Tuesday staged a sit-in outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence after the government allegedly showed “no interest” in a debate. The protesters were later detained by Delhi Police.
In a video recorded during his detention at Chhatrasal Stadium, Gandhi said he met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to seek a discussion on the issue.
He said the Opposition decided to protest outside the PM’s residence “to bring the issue of the students… and what has been done against them to the national attention”.
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He also demanded the resignations of Union education Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over irregularities in the exam system and Union home minister Amit Shah for crackdown on student protesters.
“Action must be taken against those who assaulted and humiliated the students, and all cases filed against the students should be withdrawn,” the LoP said.
Questioning the state of the education system, Gandhi said, “Why is the Indian education system collapsing? Why are papers leaking? Why is education so expensive in India? Why do families have to destroy themselves financially to educate their children? These are legitimate questions and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with asking these questions.”
He repeated the Opposition’s demand for a discussion in both Houses of Parliament. Addressing PM Modi, Gandhi said, “What happened yesterday, what your government did, what your Home Minister did, for that, you should apologise to the students of the country and as soon as possible, start reforming the examination system and the education system.”
The video, posted after his release, showed Gandhi wearing only one shoe, with his other foot bare, presumably after the police action during his detention.
Congress MPs Pawan Khera, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader Supriya Sule and other Opposition leaders joined the sit-in near Lok Kalyan Marg.
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The Centre was willing to hold talks with students and CJP representatives but declined to commit to their demands or indicate when the next round of discussions would take place, people aware of the matter said, as reported by HT earlier.
In his first reaction to the protest and the paper leaks, Dharmendra Pradhan alleged that the Congress were using students for political purposes.
“For Rahul Gandhi, this is not about students. This is about manufacturing confrontation after every genuine avenue for discussion has been opened,” he said on X. The Union minister said that the government was prepared to discuss the NEET issue and address students’ concerns in Parliament.
“Our Government remains 100% committed to discussing NEET and addressing every genuine concern of our 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,” Pradhan said.
“We owe our students more than outrage. We owe them answers, reforms and accountability. That is exactly what our government remains committed to delivering,” he added.
The CBI has arrested 13 people in connection with the NEET-UG paper leak this year.
