New Delhi, 24 July (H.S.):

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday brought injured student Shahid, who was allegedly hurt during the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar, before the media at Sonia Gandhi’s residence. Rahul Gandhi alleged that a pellet gun was used against the student during a peaceful protest, resulting in severe injury to one of his eyes.

Rahul Gandhi demanded that the government take responsibility for the alleged excesses against students, remove Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan from his post, and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologise to the students.

Addressing journalists, Rahul Gandhi said the government was claiming that pellet guns were not used during the protest, but the injured student was proof of what actually happened. Pointing towards the student, he said that he was peacefully protesting while carrying the national flag when a pellet gun was fired at him. He added that the student’s eye had been badly damaged and it was still uncertain whether his vision would return.

Rahul Gandhi said that thousands of young people were subjected to lathi-charge and pellet gun firing even though they were only demanding transparency in the examination system and protection of their future. He said that many candidates who had worked hard for years to prepare for recruitment examinations were later informed that the question papers had been leaked. Those who had lakhs of rupees were able to purchase leaked papers, while other candidates suffered injustice, he alleged.

The Congress leader said that parents of students had educated them with their hard-earned money and provided them an opportunity to build their future, but the government had attacked the aspirations of the youth.

He said students were raising only three demands — the removal of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, holding him responsible for the paper leaks and the current state of the education system; action against those allegedly responsible for using pellet guns and carrying out lathi-charge on protesters; and a public apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the students over the incident.

Rahul Gandhi said that students should not be intimidated or threatened and that their genuine demands should be accepted. He alleged that the government was attempting to suppress the voices of the youth, while the students were only seeking a fair examination system and security for their future.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar