New Delhi, Aug 5: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday hailed the young protesters for raising their voice against the “flawed education system” which is not a crime and alleged that they are facing harassment and hounding and slammed Union Home Minister Amit Shah saying that he does not have the decency to come to Parliament or the courage to comment on what has happened.
Rahul Gandhi, addressed the media outside 10 Janpath, with several of the CJP protesters from several parts of the country and said, “We had a free and frank conversation with some of the young protesters. They spoke about how they were assaulted, beaten and threatened.”
He said that he was “very proud” of them and of what they, along with thousands of young Indians like them, have done.
“They have defended the Constitution. They have protected the idea of India and India’s future,” he said, adding, “Complaining about an education system that is flawed and failing is not a crime.”
He asserted that if anything, the system needs to be changed and corrected.
“We want a better education system, an end to exam leaks, and a secure future for the youth of our country,” the Rae Bareli MP said.
Taking a swipe at the government, he said, “Accepting their apology by sending goondas to their homes is complete nonsense.”
He also said that it is not easy for them to come here. It is an act of courage.
“These young people are facing harassment, violence, and torture. I am very proud that they have the courage to speak about what they are feeling and what they have experienced. This is the kind of young generation this country needs,” the Congress leader said
Taking a veiled dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Shah, he said, “Young people are standing in front of the Indian Press, but Amit Shah and the Prime Minister do not have the courage to stand here.”
Training his guns at the Home Minister, he said, “The person responsible for the violence against students is the Home Minister of India. He does not have the decency to come to Parliament or the courage to comment on what has happened.”
The Congress leader also said that there are two possibilities — He did not know that the violence was being carried out, which means he is incompetent. And he ordered the violence against the students, which makes him “culpable”.
“Either way, he is responsible,” he alleged.
Meanwhile, Rhiya Ahir, who became face of the CJP protest in Mumbai for stopping the police van said, “I am the same girl, who had stopped the police van in Mumbai, and now many narratives are being run about me.”
She said that she had stopped 20 children from being illegally detained.
“Now I am being harassed, which is a crime. I had filed a complaint with the police on July 27, but today is August 5 and the FIR has not been registered yet. However, I am glad that the youth I stood up for are now standing with me,” Ahir said.
Rahul Gandhi also brought one more student with pellet gun injury saying that the government has been denying the use of pellet guns and here one more example.
Speaking to the media, Nutan Toppo, who also claimed to have suffered pellet gun injury said, “I had seen with my own eyes that a pellet gun was positioned on our side. As soon as I turned around, the gun was fired, which injured me.
“Even so, whenever I get the chance to fight against injustice, I will definitely fight,” she added.
Another protester, who identified himself as Bharat Banai stated that they were protesting at Jantar Mantar on July 20 and we’re doing peaceful protest demanding the resignation of Union Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, and such brutality was inflicted upon us.
He said that he carried several injured students with bleeding heads and other injuries to the ambulance.
Commenting on the police excesses, he said, “If we had demanded Amit Shah’s resignation, they might have shot us dead.”
Another protester, Farah Naaz said, “We were holding a peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar on July 20. During that time, the police baton-charged us. After that, the police took us into custody and labeled us as traitors.But no matter what anyone thinks, we will continue to raise our voice for our country and our rights.”
Another protester Muskan Sharma said, “Why did the police beat me when I was walking peacefully? A Rapid Action Force (RAF) officer best me despite the rule that a male officer cannot beat a girl.
“So how did a male RAF officer beat me?Why did he try to jab a baton into my buttocks? I’d be happy if whoever ordered that officer to do such a thing apologizes,” she said.