Dr Satish Misra, 21 July— In a significant political move likely to impact country’s political dynamics in coming times, Rahul Gandhi along with his sister Priyanka led the Congress protest against the police action against Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) supporters,
Holding the Modi government responsible for the insensitive treatment of a legitimate youth protest, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi staged a sit-in outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence and demanding the resignation of the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Sources close to Rahul Gandhi said that it was decided to move to the PM’s house because the Lok Sabha speaker didn’t give the Opposition an opportunity to raise the issue in Parliament. “He told the MPs, ‘let’s go and wake the PM on this issue’,” a leader confided.
The government appeared ready for a discussion on education-related issues as Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh, met Rahul Gandhi soon after.
Singh said the government is ready for a discussion in Parliament on the students’ protest-related issue on Wednesday, source said. However, it is learnt that the Congress is firm on its demand for resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
With the objective of mounting pressure on the BJP led NDA government, the Congress while calling for by PM Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah to quit, over the police action against protesters during the CJP march to Parliament on 20 July, has also sought an apology from the PM for the police assault on students. The party members had initially started the protest outside the PM’s residence but were later moved to a nearby spot on Rajaji Marg, and the road outside the PM house was cordoned off.
Rahul Gandhi, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, KC Venugopal, Pawan Khera and several other Congress leaders and MPs reached 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, and stage a sit-in on the road, raising slogans against the government over the alleged crackdown on students and Opposition workers.
Several Congress MPs and workers were detained by the Delhi Police during the protest outside the Prime Minister’s residence.
Among those detained was Punjab Congress Campaign Committee chairman Charanjit Singh Channi, who accused the BJP-led Centre of using “terror-like tactics” against protesters while refusing to address students’ concerns.
Punjab Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi being detained by the police during the protest. ANI video grab
“We have marched to PM Modi’s house to demand answers from him for the brutalities against young students yesterday. The government doesn’t want to take any accountability nor does it want to have a debate on it in Parliament. The Prime Minister and Home Minister must resign for destroying the future of India’s youth,” said Rahul Gandhi.
Later, minister Jitendra Singh met Rahul Gandhi to note their concerns.
The protest came hours after Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra visited Delhi’s Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital to meet those injured in Monday’s police action against CJP supporters.
The CJP supporters were marching towards Parliament to demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged question paper leaks ahead of competitive examinations when the police stopped them, leading to clashes and detentions.
Earlier, before proceeding for the protest, speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Gandhi accused the Centre of using police force to suppress students raising genuine concerns. “The entire country knows the education system and testing system are broken; it has ceased to exist. The testing system has been hollowed out by termites. That is all they are saying. We have been saying it too. I have been giving presentation after presentation about this. Why is the Prime Minister silent?” Gandhi said.
“We went to the Speaker and said, ‘Look, we want to discuss the student issue,’ and the Speaker told us that to hold a discussion, he has to ask the government. Do you understand what this means? The Speaker is telling us that to debate in Parliament, he has to take permission from the government,” he said.
Calling the police response “un-Indian”, he said students deserved better treatment. “The point is this is no way to treat the young people of this country. The young people of this country do not have opportunities; all the doors are closed; one door is open for competitive exams, which is also destroyed. These students here are complaining not just about the education system but their future,” Gandhi said.
He further alleged that the country’s education system had been taken over by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), parent body of the ruling BJP, and accused the Modi government of favouring industrialists over students. “This is much bigger than education. This is students of India saying they have no future in India. This is legitimate. Dharmendra Pradhan, the home minister and the Prime Minister should resign,” he said.
Veteran Journalist and Political Commentator
