Congress’s student outreach program ‘Chhatron ki Goonj’ in Uttarakhand turned into a tragedy after the party leader died during preparations for the program at Bannu School grounds in Dehradun on Thursday.
Congress leader Amar Mehta was fatally injured after an iron cutter fell on his head at the venue while preparations were underway for the programme, which Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to address later in the day, Uttarakhand news agency PCC said. Follow live updates on Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike
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Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee spokeswoman Pratima Singh expressed her sadness over the incident and said that the party made every effort to save Mehta, but he died of his injuries.
What happened?
“It is a very tragic accident. It was raining and preparations for the program were underway when an iron object fell on his body, resulting in his death. The Congress party stands with his family and extends its deepest condolences,” she was quoted as saying.
However, the program will continue as per schedule, Singh said, adding that a large number of students have registered for ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’. It focuses on issues affecting students, including alleged leaks of exam papers and concerns about the education system.
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“Amar Mehta has also been deeply committed to the students’ cause. Rahul Gandhi is coming to interact with the youth and the enthusiasm among the students is very high. The program will be held with a heavy heart,” she was quoted as saying.
Mehta was seriously injured when he was supervising preparations under the tent and an iron bar from the makeshift structure suddenly fell on his head. He was taken to hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead, Congress state vice-president Suryakant Dhasmana told news agency PTI.
Rahul Gandhi continues to criticize paper leaks
Ahead of his visit, Gandhi criticized the Uttarakhand government over alleged paper leaks in the Uttarakhand Secondary Services Selection Commission (UKSSSC) 2025 recruitment examinations, alleging that the state’s anti-cheating law only existed on paper while examination papers continued to be leaked.
The Congress leader is visiting Dehradun as part of the nationwide ‘Chatron Ki Jung’ campaign, which seeks to highlight issues faced by students, including exam irregularities and the broader challenges facing India’s education system.
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The Congress is also planning to hold an awareness program for students under the banner ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ (Students’ Voice) in Bengaluru, though a final date has not been set yet.
Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala also alleged that the BJP government has subjected Karnataka to “deliberate and systematic discrimination” by withholding GST funds in the state and failing to deliver on promises of budget support for various Central government schemes, including alleged non-release of funds announced in the Union Budget.
