Priyanka Gandhi Vadra alleged 'democracy is being destroyed' as she, Rahul Gandhi, and INDIA bloc leaders paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Gandhi Smriti while protesting the NEET-UG paper leak and police action against students in New Delhi.
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday alleged that "democracy is being destroyed" in the country as she, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and INDIA bloc leaders paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Gandhi Smriti while protesting over the NEET-UG paper leak and police action against students. The Opposition leaders reached Gandhi Smriti on Tees January Marg amid heavy police deployment after their march from Rahul Gandhi's residence witnessed multiple barricades and clashes between Congress workers and Delhi Police. The visit was described by the Opposition as a symbolic tribute to Mahatma Gandhi and an expression of solidarity with students protesting against the paper leak and those injured during the "Sansad Chalo" march led by Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) on July 20.
'Democracy Being Destroyed': Priyanka Gandhi
Addressing reporters at Gandhi Smriti, Priyanka Gandhi accused the Centre of suppressing democratic voices and using force against students demanding justice. "What Mahatma Gandhi did, and what our farmers and the poor did, was a truly unique revolution. A truly unique movement because no one was ever harmed. Today, in that very country, you're beating children because they're demanding their rights. So, we all see how much is going wrong, and our country's democracy, for which Gandhiji was martyred, for which so many people were martyred. Today, in this very country, we're seeing democracy is being destroyed," she said. Referring to security personnel, she added, "Those who wear uniforms, who stand on your borders. For what? So that their children can be beaten. Why? Because their exam papers are being leaked. They are demanding their rights and justice for this."
Rahul Gandhi Accuses Govt of 'Assassinating Democracy'
Earlier, Rahul Gandhi, along with INDIA bloc MPs, paid floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi after reaching Gandhi Smriti in buses. Before arriving, Gandhi alleged that authorities had prevented the Opposition from marching in solidarity with students and accused the government of "assassinating democracy." "Our leader Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated over here. Today, the Modi government is assassinating democracy in India, brutalising students, and beating students. The Opposition is not going to accept this. We are with the students, and Mr Narendra Modi has to remove the Education Minister and apologise," Rahul Gandhi said. In a post on X, Gandhi wrote, "No one can stop us from standing with the students of India."
INDIA Bloc Leaders Condemn Govt Action
Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said the visit to Gandhi Smriti was a symbolic pledge to stand with students. "Mahatma Gandhi is the soul of the nation. India is witnessing the murder of democracy. Narendra Modi is killing democracy and killing the future of the students. This is the place where we have to pray... Therefore, we are symbolically coming here to take the pledge that we will stand for students and for the right cause," he said.
Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram questioned the large-scale police deployment around Gandhi Smriti and reiterated the Opposition's demands. "What are they afraid of? We are MPs. We are not armed. We are not violent. We want to visit Gandhi Smriti, where Gandhiji was shot. This is a sacred place... This protest will continue until the demands are met. The first demand is that Mr Dharmendra Pradhan, the Education Minister, must resign, and that there must be a full-scale debate on NEET and other issues," he said.
Samajwadi Party MP Rajeev Rai said the police action against students reminded him of British rule, while Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla alleged that an "emergency-like situation" prevailed in the country.
Congress MP Imran Masood said the protest represented "a fight for change in the nation," while Karti Chidambaram said repeated paper leaks had undermined the integrity of the examination system and accountability was yet to be fixed.
Congress MP K Suresh alleged that "Delhi is hijacked by the police," while Congress MP Ranjeet Ranjan said the Opposition would continue protesting until the government addressed students' concerns.
Protest Amid Parliament Deadlock
The protest comes amid the continuing deadlock in Parliament over the NEET-UG paper leak issue. The Opposition has been demanding Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation and a detailed discussion on the controversy, while the Centre has maintained that it is ready to discuss the matter without preconditions.
After paying homage to Mahatma Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and the INDIA bloc leaders departed from Gandhi Smriti. (ANI)
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