Three-hour demonstration, the government’s honor is strong: From the custody of Rahul-Priyanka and Akhilesh to their release… know these big things

New Delhi : Various leaders, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, were released on Tuesday night, nearly three hours after they were detained during a protest in support of students outside the Prime Minister’s residence.

Rahul Gandhi was released from Chhatrasal Stadium, while some other leaders including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were first taken to Mandir Marg police station. Congress Parliamentary Party President Sonia Gandhi had reached Mandir Marg police station to meet her daughter Priyanka and other detained leaders. Later all the leaders were released. After the release, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that if the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha is not allowed to speak in the Parliament and peaceful demonstrations are not allowed, then the opposition will present its views wherever possible.

He said that it is the responsibility of the government to listen to the legitimate demands of the children and youth of the country and in a democracy, peaceful protest is the fundamental right of everyone. He said, “Our demand has been clear from the beginning. There should be a comprehensive reform in the education system of the country, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan should resign, this issue should be discussed in Parliament and the voice of the students should be heard.”

He alleged that the government has focused more on waiving off loans of big industrialists rather than education and required efforts have not been made to strengthen the education system.

Government should accept the demands of students: SP chief

Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav said that the government should accept the demands of the students. He alleged that there was brutal lathicharge on peaceful protesting students and misbehavior with them and such action is unacceptable in a democracy. The entire opposition will strongly raise this issue within the Parliament also.

Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal said that the government adopted a repressive attitude for the second consecutive day. The opposition had given notice under the rules to discuss the students’ issue, but the government is avoiding the discussion. He said that the attitude of the government is completely undemocratic.

Congress’s protest near the Prime Minister’s residence, Rahul, Priyanka and other leaders were removed ‘by force’

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi and several other Congress leaders staged a protest near Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence on Tuesday demanding his resignation against the police action against students, however, the police removed them ‘by force’. When the protest did not end after Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh met Rahul Gandhi and met him, the police ‘forcefully’ detained Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav, Priyanka Gandhi, and several other leaders and took them away in a bus.

Rahul Gandhi got hurt

Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi also put up strong resistance while being picked up by the police. After being detained, Rahul Gandhi said that no matter what the government does, the fight for justice will not stop. He said, “Modi ji, try every force, use all your strength – this fight for justice of the students will not stop now.” Congress leaders say that Rahul Gandhi was picked up ‘forcefully’ and ‘dragged’, due to which he also suffered a nose injury. While being taken into custody, Priyanka Gandhi also raised the slogan ‘Narendra Modi is a coward’. After being detained, Rahul Gandhi was taken to Chhatrasal Stadium in Model Town area, while the police took Priyanka Gandhi to Mandir Marg police station.

Later, Congress Parliamentary Party chief Sonia Gandhi also reached Mandir Marg police station and met Priyanka Gandhi. Congress President Kharge alleged that the MPs of Congress and opposition parties, who were protesting outside the Prime Minister’s residence, were “dragged” into custody by the police and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi was also forcefully taken away from there. Kharge said that “the dictatorial government is trembling in fear” and the government has ruined the future of crores of children by ruining the education system. He claimed that more than 150 papers were leaked and 25 children lost their lives and when students took to the streets demanding justice, they were lathicharged and pelted with batons. The Congress president alleged that MPs were “imprisoned” by closing the gates of Parliament, the demand for discussion of a joint opposition was not accepted and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan was not dismissed. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh claimed, “Another name for dictatorship is Amitshahi.” Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Nationalist Congress Party (NSP) leader Supriya Sule also joined the protest. After the proceedings of both the Houses of Parliament were adjourned for the day, Rahul Gandhi, Kharge, Priyanka Gandhi and many other MPs suddenly reached near ‘7 Lok Kalyan Marg’ demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sat on strike there. The leaders participating in the protest raised slogans like ‘Prime Minister should resign’, ‘Hooliganism will not work’ and ‘Give justice to students’. Shortly after the protest began, Lok Sabha members Charanjit Singh Channi, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Shashikant Senthil and other leaders were detained.

Minister of State Jitendra Singh urged Rahul Gandhi to end the protest

During the dharna, Congress leaders symbolically protested against the police action against the students by wearing ‘handcuffs’ on their hands. Earlier, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh and Home Secretary Govind Mohan reached the spot and urged Rahul Gandhi to end the protest. After this meeting, Singh claimed that Rahul Gandhi was assured to discuss the NEET issue in Parliament, but then he also demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. He said that the attitude of the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha is not in accordance with democratic norms. According to Singh, Rahul Gandhi said that if the government agrees to discuss in Parliament all the issues of NEET and its related movement, then he will end the strike. He claimed that after taking permission from the top leadership of the government, Rahul Gandhi was assured that the government is ready to discuss NEET and all related issues in the Parliament. Singh alleged that after this Rahul Gandhi also demanded the resignation of the Union Education Minister and said that now he has two demands. Jitendra Singh said that when Rahul Gandhi was reminded that he had earlier demanded discussion only in Parliament, he replied that now his demands had changed. Shortly after the start of the dharna, Rahul Gandhi had appealed to those who wanted to get justice for the students to join the dharna. He said that the attack on students is an attack on every Indian family and the government should take accountability in this matter. Rahul Gandhi demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Home Minister, saying that the government neither wants to take accountability for the incident nor is it allowing discussion on it in Parliament.