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A trigger was the alleged thrashing of two NSUI activists, Ritu Barala and Adhira, by police during their detention. Despite the two women workers sustaining injuries, none of the party’s top leaders initially visited the hospital.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi bringing AISA student leader Neha Bora to the forefront during INDIA bloc meetings and press conferences has not gone down well with youth and student union workers of the Congress, prompting NSUI activists to change the name of a group to “We the Chotu” for three days.
Sources in the Congress said a sense of uneasiness and insecurity grew among the party’s student wing, the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), and its youth wing, the Indian Youth Congress (IYC), after Rahul Gandhi openly promoted Bora. She gained prominence during the July student protests over the NEET-UG paper leak and during Opposition protests against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in voter rolls, particularly the removal of 13.3 crore voters during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in 30 states and Union territories.
Ahead of the Opposition’s protest march to the Supreme Court on Monday, Rahul Gandhi said that all protests against the CEC were part of the same movement.
During the Opposition march, Bora was called onto the truck where top leaders of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc were standing. This became the trigger point for student activists belonging to the Congress’s NSUI.
A source said an NSUI member, upset over the promotion of Bora, changed the name of an official group to “We the Chotu”, suggesting that student workers were considered insignificant by the party high command despite their efforts and contributions.
The source said another trigger was the alleged brutal thrashing of two NSUI women activists, Ritu Barala and Adhira, by police during their detention.
Despite the two women workers sustaining injuries, with one reportedly losing hearing in one ear, none of the party’s top leaders initially visited Lady Hardinge Hospital to enquire about their health. NSUI in-charge Kanhaiya Kumar, NSUI president Binod Jakhar and MPs such as Jebi Mather reached the hospital and held a protest, the source said.
The source claimed that many NSUI workers, particularly from Haryana, Rajasthan, Kerala, Jharkhand and other states, were shocked by what they perceived as apathy from the party’s senior leadership.
The source said workers from Kerala and Haryana were particularly agitated over the perceived neglect. He claimed that Kerala NSUI workers questioned why prominence was being given to Left student organisations such as AISA and their leaders, including Bora, when they were fighting Left parties in Kerala.
They were particularly upset that Bora was given space on the truck alongside Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Congress general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal, the source said.
The source added that NSUI workers from Kerala had pointed out that their struggle against Left parties in the state was intense and often resulted in injuries, but state leaders reached out to them immediately when such incidents occurred.
“In Delhi, we expected that our leaders would reach out to us and enquire about our condition, but the situation was completely opposite. No one reached out to us barring Mather, Kanhaiya and Jakhar,” another party insider said.
Similarly, several NSUI workers from Haryana were also disheartened and questioned why Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi had not visited the hospital on October 13, when Rahul hosted INDIA bloc leaders for high tea at his residence. On the same day, Bora was brought forward by Rahul Gandhi to address the media.
The source said resentment was brewing within the NSUI, but a senior leader from Jharkhand pacified the workers, saying Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi had forgiven the killers of their father, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, and did not express their emotions easily. He assured them that the senior leaders would reach out to the injured workers.
However, Venugopal visited the hospital on October 14 and met the injured students. Soon afterwards, Rahul Gandhi addressed the media alongside Barala and Adhira, describing them as “lionesses” of the Congress and praising their resilience.