(Photo) Courtesy:The Wire
NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi on Saturday called Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation from the Union Cabinet as a victory for students, and held Home Minister Amit Shah responsible for the use of lethal weapons against the students, which he will raise in Parliament.
The Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition also accused the RSS of “capturing” and “hollowing out” India’s education system, while demanding concrete steps from the government to rebuild a system that he said was once India’s pride. He was talking to reporters just outside 10 Janpath, the residence of Sonia Gandhi.
He said India’s education system had been under attack for years and was being “captured” and “privatised”.
“The education system which used to be our pride, the whole world acknowledged that the education system of India is very good. It has been under attack for years. It is being captured, it is being privatised,” he said.
Calling Pradhan a symbol of the problems facing the education system, Rahul Gandhi said, “Pradhan is a symbol. A symbol of corruption, a symbol of destruction of the education system, a symbol of incompetence. He had to go. And it is good that he went.”
He also linked the student protests to unemployment. “This was a reaction to unemployment,” Rahul Gandhi said.
Rahul Gandhi directly blamed Amit Shah for the use of lethal weapons against students during the protests.
“We hold Mr Amit Shah directly responsible. He authorised lethal weapons on our students,” Rahul Gandhi said.
He further alleged that the Home Minister had authorised the use of pellet guns against students.
“He authorised the shooting of our students. He authorised the use of lethal weapons, pellet guns, on our students,” he said.
Rahul Gandhi said the issue was fundamental for the Opposition and would be raised in Parliament.
“For us, that is a fundamental issue. We will not accept our own forces shooting the future of India. So that is going to be a major issue in Parliament,” he said.
He also said the students had demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“Of course, as I said, the students have also demanded an apology from the Prime Minister,” Rahul Gandhi said.
While welcoming Pradhan’s resignation, Rahul Gandhi said the government must now take concrete steps to improve India’s education system that has been captured by the RSS.
“But now the government will have to take concrete steps to change the education system,” he said.
“The RSS’s capture of the education system of India is a big issue. If it is Modi ji’s fault, then the RSS is equally at fault,” he said.
In Hindi, he said that the RSS had taken control of the education system and accused it of damaging it.
“The RSS has been eating away at the education system like termites,” Rahul Gandhi said.
The CJP calls off the 49-day long students’ protest at Jantar Mantar and wanted the government to agree to pending demands.
The group says Pradhan’s resignation fulfils its first key demand.
It said the government has agreed to withdraw FIRs filed against the protesters and organisers. It said CJP now awaits a written guarantee on FIRs by Tuesday.
Umakant Lakhera is a Senior Journalist and Political Commentator
