Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday questioned the government over the lack of hostel facilities for female students, comparing it with the large-scale diya-lighting events held for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 76th birthday.
Gandhi referred to an interaction with a female student at his ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ programme in Indore on Saturday. She had spoken about the difficulties of finding safe and affordable accommodation while pursuing higher education.
“'The government has money to light diyas, why not for our hostels?' This question was asked of me yesterday by a female student in Indore,” the Lok Sabha Opposition leader wrote on X.
Deep Dive
Why is Rahul Gandhi questioning the government's spending priorities regarding hostels for female students?
What issues did students raise during Rahul Gandhi's 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' event in Indore?
How does Rahul Gandhi link the lack of hostel facilities to female student dropout rates?
Gandhi said the student moved from a village to Indore for her studies but had to live in a paying guest accommodation because there was no hostel available.
“There’s no hostel, so she has to stay in a PG. Just to stay safe, lakhs are spent. The worry of monthly rent, and the fear of becoming homeless - she has to study amidst all this,” he said.
He said many girls discontinued their education because they did not have a place to stay. Rahul Gandhi also questioned the housing allowance, as he said, “What about the housing allowance? It doesn’t increase with inflation, and on top of that, it falls prey to corruption.”
{{/usCountry}}He said many girls discontinued their education because they did not have a place to stay. Rahul Gandhi also questioned the housing allowance, as he said, “What about the housing allowance? It doesn’t increase with inflation, and on top of that, it falls prey to corruption.”
{{/usCountry}}ALSO READ | Mimicry of PM Modi at Rahul Gandhi event irks BJP: ‘Mother isn't subject of politics’
“Many girls drop out of their studies for this very reason - because there’s no place to live,” he said. “Do you have any answer to that little girl’s question,” he asked and tagged PM Narendra Modi.
Gandhi cites diya celebrations
Gandhi’s remarks came days after the country saw a large-scale diya-lighting programme as part of the ‘Ashirwad Ka Diya’ celebrations for Modi’s birthday.
About 3.55 crore diyas were lit simultaneously across Madhya Pradesh on September 17, HT reported earlier. In Ujjain, 33.27 lakh diyas were lit along the Shipra river ghats and at Mahakal Lok.
ALSO READ | ‘System afraid of students who ask questions’: Rahul Gandhi in Indore; MP CM hits back
There is no publicly disclosed official figure for the total expenditure on the ‘Ashirwad Ka Diya’ campaign. An estimate published by The Morning Voice put the oil requirement for the Ujjain event at around 45,000 litres. The cost estimated at ₹54 lakh to ₹67.5 lakh. It extrapolated the oil cost for the statewide exercise to roughly ₹5.8 crore to ₹7.2 crore.
In Bihar, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav alleged that ₹100 crore was spent on diyas, oil and wicks while the state was dealing with a major flood crisis. Over 48 lakh people have been affected in flood-hit Bihar, PTI reports.
Sharing a video on X showing Bihar chief minister Samrat Singh visiting a site where hundreds of diyas had been lit for Modi’s birthday, Yadav wrote, “Chief Ministers trying to hide the floods behind the cover of diyas by lighting 100 crore worth of lamps on the banks of the Ganga on the birthday of the PM who pays no heed to the floods in Bihar.”
Videos circulated on social media after the celebrations also showed people collecting oil from used diyas, while other footage showed oil spilled around areas where the lamps had been lit.
Gandhi's 'system versus students' remarks
At the fifth edition of ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ in Indore on Saturday, Gandhi focused on issues including education, recruitment, examinations, employment and hostel facilities.
He alleged that a “system” had taken control of various institutions and was hostile to students who questioned authority.
“The system is afraid of students because students ask questions. The system does not want students; it wants ‘andhbhakts’,” Gandhi said at the event.
He said students were curious and questioned institutions over recruitment, examinations and opportunities, while alleging that the system preferred people who did not challenge its narrative.
Gandhi also named PM Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah, national security advisor Ajit Doval, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and billionaire businessmen Gautam Adaniand Mukesh Ambani while making allegations about the concentration of political, institutional and economic power.
Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav has pushed back against Gandhi's allegations, saying the Congress leader should present facts and data when speaking about education and children.