New Delhi [India], August 12 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Members of Parliament from Jharkhand on Wednesday staged a protest in the Parliament against the recent lathi-charge on student protesters in Ranchi, while simultaneously launching a sharp attack on Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi.
The BJP MPs accused Gandhi of maintaining “double standards” for supporting student protests in Delhi while remaining silent on the “barbaric” treatment of students by the JMM-Congress coalition government in Jharkhand.
In a counter-protest, opposition leaders continued their demonstration against the centre raising slogans of “Amit Shah Jawab Do” (Amit Shah, provide an answer). The opposition focused its attack on the Union Home Minister regarding the alleged use of excessive force by police against students in the national capital and other states.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra launched a blistering attack on Union Home Minister Amit Shah, questioning the government’s accountability for the alleged use of excessive force, including lathis and pellet guns, against student protesters across the country.
Speaking to the media in the national capital, the Congress leader questioned who should be held responsible for the treatment meted out to the youth when they raise their voices for their future.
“What do you think, who is responsible? When thousands of students gather and they have one demand, you shower lathis on them, you fire pellet guns at them, and in Bihar, you use AK-47s against them,” Priyanka Gandhi said.
Raising the issue of democratic accountability, she asked if the Home Minister considers himself answerable to the citizens for these actions.
“Are you not accountable to the public? So, should we just sit quietly?” she questioned, suggesting that the opposition will not remain silent while the voices of students are being suppressed through “brute force.”
The remarks follow a series of student-led agitations in Delhi, Jharkhand, and Bihar over recruitment irregularities and examination paper leaks. The Congress has been demanding a formal statement and an apology from the Home Minister on the floor of the House regarding the police action during these protests.
Earlier, student protesters in Jharkhand staged a demonstration outside the state Assembly in Ranchi over their demands and alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.
The agitation intensified after students and job aspirants marched towards the Assembly, with the situation turning tense following clashes between protesters and police. Police used force to disperse the protesters after barricades were breached.
The Jharkhand student agitation has also become a political issue, with the Opposition questioning the police action and demanding that the government address the grievances of the protesting aspirants.
The investigation into alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations has also seen several arrests, with Bhagat claiming that 20 people had been arrested so far and that the Enforcement Directorate had also stepped into the matter.
The two sides have been holding counter-protests over issues concerning students and examination irregularities.
The Congress has been demanding accountability over the treatment of protesting students and has criticised the use of force against demonstrators.
Priyanka Gandhi’s demand that Amit Shah make a statement came as the Opposition sought to put the Jharkhand student protests and the alleged police action at the centre of the parliamentary debate. (ANI)
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