The Congress on Sunday alleged that the BJP-RSS had “hollowed out and corrupted” the education system and said leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi was standing with students demanding accountability.
The party’s remarks came a day after Rahul Gandhi criticised what he called a “rotten system”, particularly in education, alleging that it did not want students to question authority and instead sought to promote “andhbhakts” – a term commonly used by critics of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his supporters.
Rahul Gandhi made the remarks at the fifth edition of his youth outreach programme, ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’, in Indore on Saturday. The event was held around the theme “system versus students”, with Gandhi interacting with Gen Z and other young participants on education, recruitment and employment-related issues.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh, responding to Rahul Gandhi’s post on the programme, alleged that the “system” suppressing students was controlled by people associated with the BJP-RSS.
“Yesterday, Rahul Gandhi ji revealed the secret of this system that has been suppressing students. Who is this system? The people of BJP-RSS who have seized control over the entire country. On education, on the economy, on politics, on every institution,” Ramesh said in a post on X.
“They have hollowed out and corrupted the education system. Because this system fears students. They ask questions, demand accountability,” he added.
“Now Rahul ji stands with them, the fear among students has ended. Their voice is echoing across the entire country,” Ramesh said.
At the Indore event, Rahul Gandhi said the “system” was afraid of students because they asked questions. He alleged that it wanted “andhbhakts” who did not question authority.
“The system is afraid of students because students ask questions. The system does not want students; it wants ‘andhbhakts’,” Gandhi said.
He described students as curious and willing to question authority, particularly on the functioning of institutions, recruitment, examinations and opportunities. He contrasted them with what he called “andhbhakts”, whom he accused of spreading hatred.
Rahul Gandhi also alleged that the “system” had several layers and named Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah, national security adviser Ajit Doval, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and industrialists Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani, alleging that they exercised influence over different aspects of the country’s political, institutional and economic life.
He argued that students posed a challenge to this system because they remained curious and questioned what was happening around them.
The programme also came amid concerns raised by students and job aspirants over recruitment delays, examination-related issues and education infrastructure in Madhya Pradesh. Rahul Gandhi offered to join an ongoing protest by teacher job aspirants in the state.
Rahul Gandhi’s Indore visit followed an interaction between RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and around 1,700 Gen Z participants at the ‘Yuva Dharma Sansad’ in Ujjain on Friday.
It also came two days after BJP president Nitin Nabin visited Indore on his first trip to Madhya Pradesh after taking charge as the party’s national president and launched a government scheme.
Nabin’s visit was viewed by some as a BJP effort to counter the political impact of Rahul Gandhi’s student outreach programme in the city. That interpretation was reported amid heightened political activity around Rahul Gandhi’s event, but it remains an attributed political assessment rather than an established fact.
The fifth edition of ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ follows earlier editions held in Kota, Dehradun, Prayagraj and Pune.