Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday intensified his attack on Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, calling him a “criminal education minister” and demanding his removal over exam paper leaks, as he paraded before the media a student protester who was allegedly injured with a pellet gun during the July 20 protests in the capital.
Gandhi also demanded action against security personnel accused of using pellets and batons against protesters, and called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to apologize to the students.
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“Should be removed”: Rahul Gandhi
Addressing reporters outside Congress parliamentary party leader Sonia Gandhi’s residence in Janpath, Gandhi stood alongside Sahil, a 19-year-old Delhi University student who claimed he was hit in the right eye by a bullet while participating in a peaceful protest.
“Dharmendra Pradhan is a criminal education minister. He must be removed. He is a symbol of the collapse of our education system. He must go,” Gandhi said.
Showing Sahil’s injuries to reporters, Gandhi said the government’s claim of not using pellet guns contradicted the student’s case.
“The government claimed that no pellet guns were used, but look at this. This person suffered an eye injury and lost sight in one eye. These youth are the future of India. Thousands of youth were allegedly beaten with pellet guns, beaten and assaulted, even though they were staging a peaceful protest,” he added.
Gandhi said that the students were protesting due to repeated leakage of examination papers. “They worked hard for years to prepare for the exams, only to be told that the paper had been leaked $ 60-70 lakh can buy the question paper, while the rest are left to suffer.”
In a social media post later, Gandhi said Sahil works part-time to support his family. He said that Sahil took a police recruitment exam but the question paper was leaked.
