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Rahul Gandhi slams UGC's draft regulations, says ‘RSS trying to impose hegemony’
The leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha said the aim of the RSS was the eradication of all other histories, cultures, and traditions of the country.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday slammed the University Grants Commission (UGC) draft regulations, claiming that the proposed regulations on the appointment of teachers and academic staff in universities and colleges were an attempt at imposing "one history, one tradition, one language" on the country.
Gandhi alleged that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's (RSS) aim was the “eradication of all other histories, cultures, and traditions” of the country.
"That is its starting point and that is what it wants to achieve. It attacks the Constitution because it wants to achieve one idea which is its idea -- one history, one tradition, one language -- on this country," the former Congress chief said while addressing a protest called by DMK's student wing at Delhi's Jantar Mantar.
According to Rahul Gandhi, the attempt at the education system of different states is just another ‘attempt to push the RSS agenda.’
"Each state has its traditions, history, language and that is why I keep saying that, in the Constitution, India is called a 'Union of States', that means all these histories, traditions, languages come together to make India the Union of States and so that is how we have to think about it," he said.
The Raebareli MP added,"We have to respect all the languages, all the cultures, all the traditions, all the histories and we have to understand where they are coming from."
He said that the Tamil people have their history, language, traditions, and they have had their struggles.
"Doing this is an insult to the Tamil people and also to all other states where the RSS is trying to impose its hegemony," he said of the UGC's draft regulations.
Congress calls draft UGC regulations ‘anti-constitution’, SP sees power grab
The Congress has termed the draft UGC regulations on the appointment of teachers and academic staff in universities and colleges "draconian and anti-Constitution", and demanded that those be immediately withdrawn.
Hitting out at the Centre over the draft regulations, the grand old party on Wednesday said the justification that the rules had been updated for compliance with NEP, 2020, did not withstand scrutiny and must be rolled back.
Congress’ INDIA ally Samajwadi Party also hit out at the central government and the RSS with its chief Akhilesh Yadav alleging that they wanted to take over all the power of state governments.
"They want to make politicians servants of industrialists. We can never support the new education policy. I am supporting all the students here and the decision that you have taken. I am against the NEP (National Education Policy). I am against the BJP," he said.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh had said the State Higher Education Ministers' Conclave was hosted in Bengaluru by Karnataka minister MC Sudhakar, with six ministers or their representatives from Karnataka, Telangana, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh and Jharkhand (all-opposition ruled states) adopting a 15-point resolution on the UGC's "draconian" draft regulations.
