Opposition leaders on Monday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Union government over the students’ protest outside Parliament with Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the most “anti-youth PM” of the country.
“This country has the majority of young population, PM Modi is the most anti-youth Prime Minister India has ever had. The boys and girls who are walking the streets of Delhi are not criminals. They are demanding their rights... There’s absolutely nothing wrong in what they are doing and it’s disgusting what the government is doing and what the police is doing,” Gandhi said in a message after the Parliament was adjourned.
The Congress leader maintained that the demands of the protestors were legitimate and the PM should do something about it.
“They have legitimate demands. The PM should accept these demands and do something about it. Everybody is sick and tired of the way our education system is running. Everybody is sick and tired of how the RSS has captured our education system, and how all our institutions are being run by one organisation,” Gandhi added, saying the government believes in deceit and violence.
In the Rajya Sabha, LoP Mallikarjun Kharge said, “This is a matter concerning students, this is a matter concerning students, which involves the future of lakhs of children. I am speaking about their future. And for that, today at Jantar Mantar, thousands of children have gathered there, a lathi charge has taken place there. The government is trying to beat them, the government is trying to suppress them, the government is trying to crush them.”
{{/usCountry}}In the Rajya Sabha, LoP Mallikarjun Kharge said, “This is a matter concerning students, this is a matter concerning students, which involves the future of lakhs of children. I am speaking about their future. And for that, today at Jantar Mantar, thousands of children have gathered there, a lathi charge has taken place there. The government is trying to beat them, the government is trying to suppress them, the government is trying to crush them.”
{{/usCountry}}Later, Kharge told media, “Lakhs of students are in distress, having left their homes and facing utter ruin. Who is responsible for destroying their lives? The Modi government and PM Modi himself. He does these things just to hide his own weaknesses.”
Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav said, “What we saw there was the government’s and the police’s conduct... A large number of young people have sustained injuries...For years, the government has been playing with the future of students and the youth. That very anger is visible now; the call for revolution is rising, and a sense of solidarity is evident. That is why the country’s youth are present here in such vast numbers.”
Congress MP from Wayanad, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that instead of using lathis against students, the BJP government should review its own policies and shortcomings. “First, the NEET paper was leaked and the exam was cancelled; now, there are reports of irregularities in the re-examination as well. It was said that the PM would personally oversee the process; despite this, why and how is all this happening? How are so many paper leaks occurring repeatedly?”
Congress general secretary KC Venugopal alleged that the government is “completely insensitive to the concerns of the people. Parents across the country are deeply worried about the future of their children. Our minimum demands are the resignation of the education minister and a discussion on the NEET and CBSE examination systems...”
Meanwhile, BJP leader Amit Malviya alleged there were incidents of stone pelting during the protest. “The stone-pelting and orchestrated violence carried out in the name of students raise serious questions about the intent of the protestors and those backing them...The violence did not appear spontaneous. There were organised groups that initiated it, after which sections of the crowd followed...The investigation will establish criminal responsibility here as well,” he said in a post on X.