Rahul Gandhi allegedly resisted the government to discuss the protest in Parliament. He went to meet the injured at RML Hospital.
Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Home Minister Amit Shah over police actions against protesters during the Cockroach Janata Party’s (CJP) march to Parliament the previous day.
His remarks came on the second day of the monsoon session of Parliament, a day after clashes between Delhi Police and CPM supporters during the party’s ‘Chalo Sansad’ rally, which left several protesters injured. The confrontation also sparked a political standoff between the opposition and the government over alleged irregularities in the country’s examination and education system. Follow live updates here
Rahul Gandhi demands Prime Minister Modi’s resignation
Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Gandhi accused the Center of using police force to crack down on students raising concerns about the education and examination system.
“These young people are protesting against the education system and the examination system. The whole country knows that the education system and the examination system are broken; it no longer exists. The examination system has been hollowed out by termites. That’s all they are saying. We have been saying it too. I have been giving presentation after presentation on this topic. Why is the Prime Minister silent?” Gandhi said.
He described the police response as “un-Indian” and said the students deserved better treatment.
“The important point is that this is not the right way to treat the youth of this country. The youth of this country have no opportunities; all the doors are closed; one door is open for competitive exams, a door that has also been destroyed. These students here are not only complaining about the education system, but about their future as well,” Gandhi said.
He further alleged that the country’s education system has been taken over by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and accused the government of favoring industrialists over students.
“It is about the future of young people. They are watching the Ambani wedding and… $1000 crores are being spent there, while they have no money to open their own business. This is much bigger than education. These students of India say they have no future in India. This is legitimate. Dharmendra Pradhan, Home Minister and Prime Minister, must resign.”
Gandhi also claimed that opposition MPs were not allowed to raise the issue in Parliament.
“We went to the Speaker of Parliament and said: Look, we want to discuss the students’ issue, and the Speaker told us that to have a debate, he has to ask the government. Do you understand what this means? The Speaker is telling us that for the discussion to take place in Parliament, he has to get permission from the government.”
After addressing the media, Gandhi, accompanied by Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Congress general secretary KC Venugopal, visited Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital to meet protesters injured during Monday’s clashes.
CJP leaders meet JP Nadda
Meanwhile, RJD representatives Sourav Das and Ashutosh Ranka met Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Monday to submit the organization’s demands in writing after the protest.
Protest infrastructure at Jantar Mantar was dismantled after the clashes, while prohibitory orders under Section 163 remained in place in parts of central Delhi, restricting gatherings of five or more people.
However, CJP founder Abhijit Debke continued his sit-in at Jantar Mantar, reiterating that the agitation would continue till Pradhan’s resignation.
Sonam Wangchuk continues her hunger strike
Climate activist and education reformer Sonam Wangchuk has been on hunger strike at Safdarjung Hospital, where he was admitted after being detained by Delhi Police on July 18.
According to the latest health bulletin issued by the hospital, Wangchuk’s serum potassium level reached 3.2 mEq/L in the sample collected on Monday night. He is receiving oral rehydration solution (ORS) and oral potassium supplements but continues to refuse intravenous fluids and glucose.
Stuti Gupta is a content producer at Hindustan Times, based in New Delhi, where she is part of the general news team, tasked with reporting on events across the country that impact the local and international environment. In her role at HT, she is responsible for monitoring incoming news updates, packaging stories and publishing them in a format that best suits her purpose. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication and Journalism from St. Xavier’s, Mumbai, and is interested in working in international affairs. Aside from her interest in the geopolitical world, she is a reader, writer, speaker, debater, and learner who loves getting new information. She has been recognized for her previous literary work at an international level having won the Gold Prize, Gold Prize and Silver Prize in various years participating in the Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition along with winning Third Prize and publishing her story in Children’s World in 2017. Except for academic and professional endeavours, she has a passion for traveling to new places, exploring new cultures and cuisines, documenting them through words and images and interacting with people from diverse backgrounds. She is also very passionate about studying and actively participating in art forms such as cinema, dance, theatre, and music as a tool for cultural storytelling.Read more
