Priyanka Gandhi on Tuesday slammed the alleged use of pellet guns against student protesters during the Lok Sabha debate on the NEET paper leak, questioning who ordered the security action. She highlighted the use of pellet guns against the students during the youth-led protest against the NEET paper leak in Delhi.
“What was the need to fire tear gas at those students, to rain lathi blows upon them, or to use water cannons against them? What was the need to humiliate those young women, tear their clothes, and have them brutally beaten? What was the necessity of using pellet guns and AK-47s against the country’s youth? Were they terrorists?” Priyanka Gandhi said
“Will the Home Minister answer? Who gave the order to fire pellet guns? I want to ask through you, Speaker Sir, who gave the order? Did the PM give the order or the Home Minister? Will they answer? The whole country is asking, not just the Congress party,” she said.
She further said that frequent paper leaks had shattered students’ trust. “The education system has developed flaws. The exam system has failed. Not a single mafia member has been punished,” she said.
She claimed that there had been 152 paper leaks over the past decade, affecting crores of students. Following the recent NEET paper leak, which resulted in the death by suicide of several students, the youth led the protest against the irregularities. In the protest the police lathi-charged, teargassed students, and allegedly used pellet guns. Following this, Priyanka said, “The parents of this country are asking, the students are asking, the teachers are asking, the entire country is asking this today, and it is your responsibility to answer this question. Why are you afraid of the youth of this country? Why are you afraid of the powerful voice of this country, and who gave you the right to suppress that voice?
“In recent days, thousands of children took to the streets. They expressed their pain by keeping non-violence and truth in their hearts, following the path shown by Gandhiji, singing and smiling while protesting peacefully. Under the most sacred principle of democracy, they upheld their right to raise their voice,” she said.
Questioning the conduct of the ruling MPs for cheering Dharmendra Pradhan as he entered Parliament, she said, ” The day before yesterday, the education minister resigned under shameful circumstances, and yesterday, right here at the Makar Dwar, MPs of the ruling party were shouting slogans of “Zindabad.” They were shouting victory slogans. He was welcomed in Parliament as if some superstar had arrived. Look at the irony. When the former education minister was being crowned and welcomed, at that very moment.”
