"Why Is PM Silent?" Rahul Gandhi Meets Students Injured During CJP March

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the Centre over what he termed the "brutality" unleashed on protesting students in the national capital on Monday.

Asking why the Prime Minister Narendra Modi was silent on the police crackdown on the students, the Congress leader said that the PM Modi must apologise for what happened in Delhi on Monday.

"Why is the Prime Minister silent? He hasn't even apologised to the students who were beaten by the police. He should speak up and end this nonsense (police action on students)," Gandhi said outside Parliament.

Rahul Gandhi and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi also met the injured protesters at Delhi's RML hospital. 

Earlier, the Congress leader met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday morning, ahead of Parliament assembling, and demanded a discussion on the police action against the students.

"Met the Hon'ble Lok Sabha Speaker today along with MPs of the Opposition," Rahul Gandhi posted on X.

"Our demand is simple: Parliament must have a detailed discussion on the brutality unleashed on students yesterday and on the government's complete lack of accountability for the examination crisis," he said.

Alleging that students were beaten for asking legitimate questions about their future, Gandhi asked, "If Parliament cannot discuss the future of India's youth, what is it for?"

Vowing not to let the issue be buried, Gandhi said the Opposition would continue to fight for students.

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"The Opposition will not let this be buried. We will ensure that the students' voice is heard on the streets and in Parliament," he said.

Monday's students' march to Parliament saw unprecedented scenes in the national capital as thousands of protesters hit the roads, leading to chaos, confrontation and police action.

More than 100 policemen and over 60 protesters were injured after police used lathicharge and teargas shells to disperse crowds that at one point came within metres of Parliament.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge echoed Gandhi and demanded a discussion in Parliament on the police action.

"Why were students demanding justice met with brutal lathis and tear gas? Why was Parliament virtually sealed and the internet shut down? Who will take responsibility for repeated paper leaks and the suffering of lakhs of young people?" Kharge asked.

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He also demanded the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. "The government must immediately allow a full discussion on this issue in Parliament. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan must resign, taking moral and political responsibility for the matter," Kharge said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday called for the strictest possible punishment for those responsible for the NEET paper leak and emphasised that preventing such leaks was a national responsibility, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said, quoting the Prime Minister after the NDA Parliamentary Party's 'Mangal Milan' meeting.

Rijiju said the Prime Minister urged collective efforts to build a foolproof examination system.

The comments came a day after hundreds of protesters were tear-gassed and lathicharged and stopped from marching on Parliament.