Rahul demands PM Modi, Shah’s resignation for police brutality on CJP protesters

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the police brutality against student protesters during the ‘Sansad Chalo’ march organised by Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Monday (July 20) and said that he and the home minister must resign their posts.

‘UnIndian’ approach

Speaking with reporters in Parliament House complex, Rahul said he met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla in the morning along with other MPs and conveyed that the opposition wants to discuss the students’ issue, but was appalled by the latter's reply.

“He (Birla) said he will have to ask the government. So, the Speaker is telling us that to debate in Parliament he has to take permission from the government,” Rahul said.

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“The issue is of students and the way people are being beaten up; this is completely ‘unIndian’. Modi ji has not even apologised for what has happened yesterday,” the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said.

These students are protesting over the education and testing system, he said.

“The whole country knows that the education system and the testing system are broken and have ceased to exist,” he said.

‘Why is PM silent?’

Thousands of young and angry people had converged near Parliament on the first day of the Monsoon session on Monday to push for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, only to be pushed back by lathis and teargas shells.

Rahul further said that termites have hollowed out the testing system and that is what the students are stating.

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“There is nothing wrong with that. We have been having presentation after presentation on it. Why is the PM silent? What is the reason? He should apologise to the students and stop this nonsense of police people thrashing students,” he said.

The former Congress president said he will meet the injured students.

‘Pradhan didn't beat students, Shah did’

Asked about the opposition's demand that Pradhan should resign, Rahul said Pradhan is an intermediary. “Absolutely, he should resign, but Dharmendra Pradhan has not beaten up these students; the home minister (Amit Shah) has; he should resign, and the home minister reports to the PM, he should resign,” Rahul said.

(With inputs from agencies)