Exclusive | "Students Betrayed By System": Shashi Tharoor On Paper Leak Protests

The students have been betrayed by the system, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has said, as protests rage in the heart of the national capital over the NEET paper leak. "People who have studied sincerely, studied hard, written, and prepared for exams have been betrayed by the system that they trusted to ensure their futures," he said in an interview with NDTV.

A massive protest is underway at Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the paper leak, with activist Sonam Wangchuk on hunger strike. Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders were detained during a demonstration on the issue outside the prime minister's residence yesterday.

"What happened to Rahul Gandhi is not democracy in action. This is not how a mature democracy behaves," Tharoor said and called it "contemptible and disgraceful behaviour" by the government. "That feels (like) it (government) has no narrative. It has no moral authority. All it has is the force of the police behind it," he added.

Read: "Why Are You So Selective?" Centre On Rahul Gandhi's Paper Leak Charges

Tharoor At Jantar Mantar

Tharoor also narrated what he described as "police brutality" on the protesters. During his visit to Jantar Mantar on Tuesday, a day after the protesters were lathi-charged during their march to Parliament, he said he heard how the students were "beaten, walloped, and manhandled".

Watch Tharoor's Interview Here:

#NDTVExclusive | 'Students Were Betrayed by the System': Shashi Tharoor on NEET Row @ShashiTharoor | @Vasudha156 pic.twitter.com/kKEY9aGwwx

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"A young girl told me that she was not only manhandled by a policeman but also witnessed men in plain clothes using lathis studded with nails to hit people. She witnessed people being gashed open with the lathi. She was in tears, and I could fully understand her feeling," Tharoor recalled.

He said he also saw a young man with a bandage under his eye and head, and that he said he was hit on the head and below his eyes while distributing water among the protesters.

Read: Sonam Wangchuk Says Will End Fast If Centre Spares Students From Legal Action

'Weaponsing Students' Charge

Tharoor termed as an "absurd charge" the BJP's claim that the Congress is trying to weaponise the aspirations of students.

Pointing out that the BJP came to power by "weaponsing" Anna Hazare's anti-corruption movement, he said that opposition parties always use the national sentiment in their favour.

"One of the key principles of democracy is when something really goes wrong and hurts the interests of our citizens, our government should be accountable. That's something we've been demanding well before Jantar Mantar and this Parliament session," he said.