The Congress on Monday accused the Narendra Modi Government of refusing to engage with the concerns raised by students, Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and activist Sonam Wangchuk, alleging that instead of allowing a democratic discussion on the education system, it had responded with police action against protesters on the opening day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament.
The Opposition attack came amid clashes in the National Capital after police allegedly used tear gas and batons to stop protesters marching towards Parliament in support of Wangchuk, who has been on an indefinite hunger strike over alleged irregularities in the education system, including paper leak issues, and is demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Wangchuk was shifted to Safdarjung Hospital after his health deteriorated following more than 20 days of fasting.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that the government was “beating students” instead of listening to them.
He said the lathi-charge on students and youth amounted to an attack on democracy. According to Kharge, young people travelling to Delhi to place their concerns before the government were being stopped, beaten and harassed. He said the Congress had repeatedly flagged the issues of rising unemployment and repeated failures in conducting examinations, but the government had ignored them. “A government that cannot conduct examinations properly is not fit to remain in power,” he said.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also condemned the police action against the protesters, saying it was unacceptable that students raising genuine concerns were being met with tear gas shells and lathis instead of dialogue.
She said Parliament belonged to the people, especially the country’s youth, and not to any individual or government. Describing the protesters as the future of the country, she questioned why students demanding to be heard were being treated as criminals.
Priyanka reiterated that the Congress had been consistently demanding a discussion on the National Education Policy, maintaining that there were serious shortcomings in the education system which needed to be debated in Parliament. Instead of engaging with the issue, she alleged, the government had chosen to use force against students by firing tear gas shells and ordering a lathi-charge. “They are our own children. Why are they being beaten for raising genuine issues?” she asked.
Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal also questioned the government’s handling of Wangchuk’s protest, saying a person fighting for what he described as a genuine public cause had remained on a hunger strike for the past 20 days and deserved a sensitive response from the authorities.
He alleged that instead of addressing the issues, the government had deployed the Delhi Police and the CRPF to suppress peaceful protests. Human life and the concerns being raised were equally important, he said, adding that the Centre appeared disconnected from the realities on the ground.