3 weeks ago
Rahul Gandhi Blames Amit Shah for Violence Against Student Protesters
Some students in India were upset because they said exams had cheating problems, which they called 'paper leaks'.
They wanted the education minister to resign and asked for a better, fairer school system.
When they protested, they said the police were rough with them and even hurt some of them.
A group of these students went to talk to Rahul Gandhi, an important leader of the Congress party.
He listened to their stories and said they were brave and had done nothing wrong.
Rahul Gandhi is upset with Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi because he says they would not come to Parliament to explain what happened.
He also said the students should not be forced to say sorry for protesting peacefully.
He wants the education system fixed and an end to exam paper leaks.
He said the students were protecting India's future and the Constitution.
Rahul Gandhi met five student protesters outside Sonia Gandhi's 10 Janpath residence in New Delhi and voiced strong support for their campaign over India's education system.
He alleged that Home Minister Amit Shah, a senior BJP leader, was responsible for police violence against students, including firing pellet guns, and said Shah was either incompetent or culpable.
The students had protested over alleged examination paper leaks and sought then education minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation, facing alleged police excesses on July 20.
Gandhi said the protesters were beaten, threatened and forced to apologise, including a 15-year-old, and that complaining about the 'flawed, collapsing and useless' education system is not a crime.
Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah of lacking the courage to face Parliament and answer questions about the incidents.
- Who
- Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and five student protesters from various states; Gandhi accused Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
- What
- Gandhi backed student protesters over exam paper leaks and alleged police violence, holding Home Minister Amit Shah responsible for pellet gun firings, beatings and forced apologies.
- Where
- Outside former Congress president Sonia Gandhi's 10 Janpath residence in New Delhi; earlier protests were held at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi and in Mumbai.
- When
- August 5 (one report calls it Wednesday, another calls it Tuesday); the alleged police excesses against students took place on July 20.
- Why
- Students were protesting alleged examination paper leaks and demanding then education minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation; Gandhi said peaceful protest over a flawed education system is not a crime.
Key facts
- Interaction location
- 10 Janpath, New Delhi, outside former Congress president Sonia Gandhi's residence
- Date of interaction
- August 5 (one report says Wednesday; another says Tuesday)
- Date of alleged police excesses
- July 20
- Protesters at the press conference
- Five students from various states
- Core protest demand
- Resignation of then education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over exam paper leaks
- Gandhi's description of the education system
- "Flawed", "collapsing" and "useless"
- Video posted by Gandhi
- A nearly 12-minute video of his interaction with the students
- Gandhi's main allegation
- Home Minister Amit Shah either did not know about violence against students (incompetent) or ordered it (culpable)
Quotes
Rahul Gandhi
Leader of the Opposition, Congress MP
“The person who had pellet gun fired at this young lady, the person who had a pellet gun fired at that young man whom I brought before the press a few days ago, the person who has turned the police force against this young lady, is Amit Shah and he is the home minister of India”
theprint.in
“I just met young protesters from various states and had a discussion. I want to thank them and I am proud of thousands of students like them as they fought for the Constitution, the education system and the future of India”
theprint.in
Sources
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