NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday met five student protesters who he said were targeted during the Gen Z demonstrations that led to the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as Union education minister.
Narrating their experiences, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha said the students were assaulted during the protests and continued to face abuse on social media even after the demonstrations had ended.
Addressing the youth of the country, Rahul said they had "done no wrong" and did not need to apologise. He accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of failing to understand the youth's concerns.
"We had a freewheeling conversation with some of the young protesters. They mentioned to me how they were assaulted, breaten and threatened. I am very proud of them, very proud of what they have done, what thousands of young Indians like them have done. They have defended the Constitution, they have protected the idea of India, they have protected India's future. Complaining about the education system, which is a flawed system, a collapsing system, a useless system is not a crime," Rahul said.
"If anything, the system needs to be changed, it needs to be corrected. That is all they were asking for. They were not doing violence, they were not being aggressive, they were not being nasty. They were beaten, assaulted and threatened. Forcing them first, sending gundas to their house, forcibly demanding apology of a 15-year-old girl and then accepting that apology is complete nonsense. We do not accept it, we want education system that works, we want exam leaks to stop and we want the future of this country to be respected and protected," he added.
Rahul also launched a sharp attack on PM Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah.
"They are young people who are standing here, in front of India's press. But Amit Shah and the Prime Minister don't have the courage to stand here," Rahul said.
Calling the students "exactly the type of youngsters that this country needs", he said they had faced "harassment, violence and torture" for speaking out. "I am very proud that they have the courage to speak so eloquently," he added.
Rahul also accused Shah of being responsible for the alleged use of pellet guns against protesters. He said the home minister was either "incompetent" if he was unaware of the violence or "culpable" if he had ordered it, adding that "either way, he is responsible".
His remarks came after PM Modi released a video saying he had forgiven young protesters for allegedly using abusive language against him and his mother during the demonstrations.
On Tuesday, the leader of the opposition had said students were in "severe pain" and needed an apology from the government, not forgiveness. He argued that they were protesting over unemployment, unfair examinations and a failing education system.
Gandhi also alleged that the RSS was attempting to impose a single version of India's history, saying every state had the right to preserve and express its own language, culture and traditions. He said the student protests reflected resistance to any attempt to undermine India's diversity, adding that "India will not tolerate its history being trampled upon by anybody".
