Rahul Gandhi Backs Student Protesters Against Police Action

Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi extended full support to student protesters, asserting they have no reason to apologize to anyone. Speaking during the Parliament monsoon session, Gandhi met with students who alleged police brutality and harassment. He hailed their courage for speaking publicly despite facing severe threats and physical assault. The Congress leader specifically highlighted the case of a 15-year-old girl being pressured to apologize, describing the demand as complete nonsense and an affront to democratic rights.

Gandhi directly blamed Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the police action against the students. He argued that the Home Minister lacked the courage to answer questions in Parliament regarding these incidents. The protests stem from recent demonstrations where students reported being beaten and threatened by security forces. Gandhi noted that the students are in severe pain and deserve an apology from the government, rather than the Prime Minister's forgiveness. He criticized the top leadership for failing to protect young citizens from administrative excesses.

Opposition MPs conducted a protest march within the Parliament complex to demand a formal statement from Amit Shah on the matter. Gandhi emphasized that these students are showing more bravery than the country's senior leaders by standing before the media to tell their stories. This development intensifies the standoff between the government and the Opposition during the ongoing monsoon session. The immediate focus remains on whether the government will concede to a debate on police conduct or if the protests will escalate into broader national demonstrations.