The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday targeted the main opposition party, Congress, and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi. BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra, in a press conference at the party headquarters, accused Rahul Gandhi of fabricating a false narrative regarding the student movement.
The BJP’s response came immediately after Rahul Gandhi’s media briefing, in which he claimed that some students participating in the Jantar Mantar protest, along with protesters marching to Parliament, were shot at. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra categorically rejected Rahul Gandhi’s allegations, calling them baseless and false.
He said that Rahul Gandhi held a press conference not long ago. He was accompanied by some children who participated in the Delhi protests, but children are children, they are innocent…and these children are the children of the entire country.
He said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had previously stated on this platform, both inside and outside Parliament, that no firing took place during the “Sansad Chalo” protest in Delhi on July 20th. We said it then, and we continue to do so today, because this is a very sensitive topic. To avoid any confusion and to prevent people from believing it, I want to state with great composure and full responsibility that no bullets were fired during the “Sansad Chalo” movement in Delhi on July 20th.
Taking aim at Rahul Gandhi, he said, “This is a wrong practice. One should never attempt to play politics by putting guns on the shoulders of innocent children. Children are the future of our country. Children are not at fault.”
We also participated in protests during our school and college years. To the children who were with Rahul Gandhi today, I want to tell them there’s no need to panic at all, because you are our children, we all stand with you…the Prime Minister is also with you.”
The BJP leader said, “We want to expose the false propaganda of the opposition and Rahul Gandhi. All the children of the country are our children, so we should never be afraid of protests in life. But the children of Jharkhand are also children.” Rahul Gandhi should also meet the children of Jharkhand so that the Leader of the Opposition can understand their pain.
Citing a newspaper article, he explained how the JPSC and JSSC exam scams in Jharkhand have left a gold medalist student mentally ill. But why is Rahul Gandhi not visiting Jharkhand? Perhaps because Jharkhand is ruled by an Indian coalition.