Rahul Gandhi targets Home Minister Amit Shah over a student protest, alleging ‘lathis and pellets rained down on children’. He slammed the Modi government for high unemployment during his ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ event in Prayagraj.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Sunday targeted Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the July 20 students’ protest, alleging that “lathis and pellets rained down on children” in the national capital.
‘This is the Defeat of the System’
In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi said, “‘I have no way out left now’ – This is what a student said to me yesterday in Prayagraj. Years of preparation, sold the family land, parents’ debts, and still nothing to show for it.”
“This defeat is not his. This is the defeat of that system which refused to reward his hard work,” he said. Targeting Shah and PM Modi, he said, “Thirteen days have passed – not a word has come from Home Minister Amit Shah’s mouth. Instead of apologising, Modi ji is doling out pardons. Amit Shah ji, don’t think for a moment that we will stop demanding accountability. Lathis and pellets rained down on children on the streets of the capital – and you didn’t say a word.”
“Whether today or tomorrow, you will have to answer for this crime. Students are the light of the nation, and I stand with them with my full strength,” he added.
‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’: Rahul on Unemployment
Earlier on Saturday, the Congress leader held the ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ programme at KP Ground in Prayagraj (UP), where he interacted with students and raised issues concerning them.
Rahul Gandhi launched a blistering attack on the central government for the severity of unemployment in the country, claiming that out of every 1,000 young people, only 12 managed to secure a permanent job. Addressing a massive gathering of students at the ‘Chhatron ki Goonj’ event, Gandhi highlighted a grim reality of unemployment, stating, “Let me give you the figures: out of every 1000 young people, only 12 land a permanent job.”
Youth ‘Addicted’ to Social Media
The Congress leader warned that the youth are being manipulated by digital platforms to get them “addicted” to social media.
“As for your data, it is taken away from you; it is handed over to major corporations Jio, Adani, Facebook, and Google, and you are ensnared. You are told to watch as many reels as you like, send as many WhatsApp messages as you wish, and browse or create content on Instagram. This is the addiction of the 21st century, and then you are told to work for Blinkit or Uber, or to do manual labour. You can indulge in this 21st-century addiction, but you cannot get a job; you cannot find employment in this country,” he said.
Gandhi stated that there are 40 crore “energetic young people” in the country who represent the nation’s true strength.
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