Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Friday launched a scathing attack against Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Central government, saying that students demanded accountability and educational reforms, but the Modi government has responded to their courage with “cowardice and wanton cruelty, treating them not as inheritors of the future but as enemies of the nation”. In an op-ed published on Friday, Gandhi accused the Centre of degrading the country’s educational landscape and asserted that the students have called out the regime’s bluff, news agency PTI reported. In her article titled ‘An Education System’s Collapse, Young India’s Trauma,’ she noted, “The student protests are a natural consequence of these interrelated forces: today’s bleak education landscape, which evokes only hopelessness, and the Modi government’s trademark arrogance and unwillingness to be accountable or constructive.” Quick answers to key questions •5 QUESTIONS Sonia Gandhi criticized the Modi government for responding to student protests with ‘cowardice and wanton cruelty,’ viewing students as enemies rather than the future of the nation. Sonia Gandhi termed 20 July as a day of infamy because, on that day, the Delhi Police and Central Armed Forces violently suppressed student protesters with lathi-charges and tear gas. The Modi government announced the establishment of fast-track courts and stricter penalties for those involved in paper leaks, aiming to ensure swift justice and accountability. Student protesters have demanded accountability from the government, educational reforms, the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, and compensation for families of students who died by suicide. Many believe the Modi government should adopt a more constructive approach by engaging in dialogue with students and addressing their concerns rather than resorting to repression. Further, she emphasised that it is a moral, political, and constitutional duty to stand with students to protect their future. Also Read | CJP protest news LIVE: Sonam Wangchuk ends fast, PM’s rare midnight message Sonia Gandhi slams police brutality against protesters She claimed that the ‘brutality’ perpetrated by the Delhi Police against student protesters, which she said follows direct orders from the Union Home Minister, is hardly unprecedented for this regime. Elaborating further, Gandhi said, “We all remember vividly how armed policemen and paramilitary forces ravaged university campuses during the Citizenship (Amendment) Act-National Register of Citizens protests in 2020. The unacceptable excesses against India’s women wrestlers can never be erased from our memories.” She alleged that the Modi government is not just responsible for degrading the country’s education landscape but has also made a habit of acting with “utter impunity, supreme self-delusion, and abject insensitivity.” The Congress leader accused the PM Modi-led Central government of routinely choosing violence over dialogue. She went on to say that the government’s pattern is clear, from farmers to activists, and added, “But this week, even a government as insensitive as the one that has set new standards of authoritarian governance sank to a new low. Instead of reaching out with understanding to our future doctors and engineers, teachers and civil servants, entrepreneurs and nation builders, it unleashed the repressive power of the state on them. This can neither be forgiven nor forgotten.” Sonia Gandhi on students’ protests Gandhi highlighted that peaceful protests by students against paper leaks and a decline in the education system have been gaining momentum across the country in recent weeks. She described the demands made by students as straightforward, which include accountability from the government and education reforms. She described 20 July as a day of infamy, when the Delhi Police and the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) resorted to a lathi-charge, tear gas, and violence to suppress the voices of students who were part of the “Chalo Sansad” march. Also Read | When Dharmendra Pradhan denied paper leak, but later took ‘moral responsibility’ PM Modi vows ‘strict action’ against paper leaks Gandhi’s remarks come as protests against paper leaks intensify across the country, with more demonstrators joining those at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi and other parts of the country. On Thursday, PM Modi shared a video on his social media account, where he vowed that the government would take “stricter” action against paper leaks. The Cabinet will also take up a draft bill providing for fast-track courts and strict punishment for offenders, PM Modi said in his video message. Meanwhile, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Thursday announced that the government has agreed to the proposal to meet, and a meeting is likely to take place at the Constitution Club in the capital. Separately, climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who had been on an indefinite hunger strike since 28 June, ended his strike on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday after 26 days, in the presence of Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh, who were present at Medanta Hospital, where Wangchuk was admitted for treatment. Source link Post navigation Who is Lorenzo Thompson? Southwest Airlines flight attendant from Jamaica who’s been detained by ICE NEET-UG paper leak row: SC directs Centre, NTA to file detailed affidavits on progress made in implementing reforms
