New Delhi: In an all-out attack on the Narendra Modi government, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said the Prime Minister should immediately apologise to students after the brutal attack by Delhi Police on them on Monday during the Chalo Sansad march.
In a press conference on Wednesday, July 22, the Congress leader condemned violence against students, several identified as school children, use of tear gas, lathi charges, assault and humiliation.
“The question is why is this happening to students. What exactly have they done. Thousands of them. To have security forces aiming weapons at them. What have they done? They are protesting peacefully. They are asking for what this country owes them,” Gandhi said, asserting their demands are legitimate.
“In every government, there comes a time when psychologically the leadership collapses. And this government is visibly panicked,” he told the media.
Gandhi, his sister and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and other Opposition leaders staged a sit-in in front of PM Modi’s residence on Tuesday demanding his resignation and the government take accountability for the deteriorating education system in the country. They were forcibly removed and detained by the Delhi Police.
On being pushed and dragged, Rahul Gandhi said, “It’s a huge honour to be able to express the will of people. I am used to getting punched. Happy to take many more.”
He also alleged that police officers who were dragging him whispered in his ears that they were fed up with the current government. “As they were taking me, some said, ‘Sir, please remove the BJP government.'”
Gandhi alleged that the education system is not only rigged, but it is also unaffordable. He claimed 152 paper leaks have taken place in the last decade.
“There have been zero convictions despite 152 paper leaks. Children have died by suicide. A group of people are destroying our education system and the lives of our students,” he said.
“This is pure theft from these families, and after you steal from them you tell them the paper is leaked,” he said, hitting out at the government.
He further said that 7.5 crore students were affected by the breakdown of the education system. Annual exam expense of families is Rs 1.32 lakh crore, which is nearly equal to the education budget of Rs 1.4 lakh crore, Gandhi claimed.
