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Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday reiterated the students' demand for the removal of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET irregularities, asserting that the demands were "non-negotiable."
Addressing the media after interacting with students on a hunger strike, Gandhi alleged that India's education system had been "captured" and said the agitation represented the voice of students across the country. "I had a discussion with our students who were on a hunger strike regarding the movement, the RSS, and how Hindustan's education system has been captured. The main point we want to convey is that the students have three demands, and these are non-negotiable demands--and this is not just me speaking, this is the students of India saying this," Gandhi said. Listing the demands, Gandhi said the first was the dismissal of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. "The first demand is that the Education Minister, who is corrupt, incompetent, and misaligned, must be sacked... There is talk in Mr. Modi's cabinet that the solution is to simply move Dharmendra Pradhan from Education to another ministry. This is completely unacceptable... There will be no conversation about moving Mr. Dharmendra Pradhan here or there... He must be sacked," he said. Referring to students allegedly injured during protests, Gandhi demanded action against those responsible. "Yesterday, I introduced a young man who was shot in the eye, and there are thousands of youngsters whose legs were broken by lathis and whose bodies are filled with pellets. The people responsible for this--both the organisers and the implementers--need to be punished and held accountable," Gandhi said. The Congress leader further said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should apologise to students over the handling of the protests. "The leader of this entire machinery driving these actions, Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi, must apologise for what he has done to the students and the future of this country," Gandhi said. Reiterating his stand, Gandhi said removing Dharmendra Pradhan from the Education Ministry and assigning him another portfolio would not address the issue. "The BJP's cabinet is discussing moving him to another ministry as a solution, but that is unacceptable to everyone. Dharmendra Pradhan is the very symbol of what was done to our students," he said. He also alleged that students had been assaulted during the protests and demanded accountability. "This young lady here has suffered a ligament tear, and the youth I brought yesterday was hit in the eye by a pellet and may lose his sight. Thousands of other students have been threatened, beaten with lathis, and assaulted. Those who implemented and organised this violence must be held accountable and punished," Gandhi said. The Congress leader maintained that the students' three demands--removal of the Education Minister, action against those responsible for the alleged use of force on protesters, and an apology from the Prime Minister--were non-negotiable. (ANI)
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