Congress demonstrated against NEET-UG paper leak and lathicharge on students. Many leaders including Kharge, Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi marched towards the PM residence and demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Modi and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Congress marches towards PM’s residence, demands resignation
New Delhi [भारत]July 21 (ANI): Several Congress leaders, including Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, KC Venugopal and Pawan Kheda, protested at Lok Kalyan Marg today. They demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The protest came hours after both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were adjourned for the day as the opposition demanded a discussion on the NEET-UG paper leak and other issues in the education sector amid protests in the national capital.
Mallikarjun Kharge raised the issue of “lathi charge” on protesters in the Rajya Sabha on Monday and Tuesday. Congress MPs also took out a foot march towards the Prime Minister’s residence. In a post on Twitter, Rahul Gandhi said he was marching to PM Modi’s house to “demand answers for the brutality against young students yesterday”. He said, “The government does not want to take any accountability, nor does it want to debate this in Parliament. The PM and the Home Minister should resign for ruining the future of India’s youth.”
Rahul-Priyanka met the injured students
Earlier today, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and KC Venugopal met student protesters injured in police action in the national capital. Congress said PM Modi should apologize for this “barbarity” against the youth of the country. Union Health Minister JP Nadda also visited RML Hospital and met the injured protesters. The Congress said the demand of the protesting students is simple: the Center should take responsibility for the alleged NEET paper leak and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan should immediately resign.
Congress said in a post on Twitter, “Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Ji and Organization General Secretary KC Venugopal met the students injured in police brutality and lathi charge during yesterday’s youth protests. Today the future of students in the country is being crushed, and those who raise their voice are being lathicharged, for which Narendra Modi should apologize. The demand of the students is very clear – the government should take responsibility for the paper leak, and Dharmendra Pradhan should resign.”
Government initiated talks
Nadda on Monday met a delegation of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), which placed three demands before the government. He appealed to the protesters to end their protest. Nadda, leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha, said in a post on Twitter that this morning, for the first time, a proposal for talks with the government came from the protesters. He said the discussion started around 11:50 am and the meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere.
“First there was a detailed verbal discussion and at around 4 pm I was given a written petition. I requested all the protesters to end their protest and assist the administration in restoring normalcy,” he said.
The protesters put forward three demands
Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) chief spokesperson Saurav Das later said they put forward three demands before Nadda, including the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and compensation of Rs 1 crore to the families of NEET aspirants, “of whom more than 20 have lost their lives.” (ANI)
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