Rahul Gandhi slams ‘police action’ against SSC students, says govt not concerned about youth’s future

NEW DELHI: The Congress Monday slammed the Centre over the alleged lathi-charge on Staff Selection Commission (SSC) aspirants protesting at Ramlila Maidan here, with Rahul Gandhi claiming the Modi government was not concerned about youth's future as it has come to power by "stealing votes".

SSC students and trainers staged a protest at Ramlila Maidan on Sunday, demanding better conduct of the examination. Police, however, have denied opposition parties' claims of baton charging the demonstrators. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also lashed out at the government over the issue.

"Stealing the future of the country's youth has become a habit of the Modi government. The brutal lathi-charge by the Modi government's puppet police on students protesting against rigging in SSC exams at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan is highly condemnable," he said.

"Over the past 11 years, the BJP has handed over the journey of our youth from recruitment exams to getting jobs to paper leak mafias. The BJP-RSS has destroyed the education system. The youth of the country are enraged. Now the youth of the country will not tolerate this injustice!" Kharge said.

In a post in Hindi on X, Rahul Gandhi said, "The brutal lathi-charge on SSC candidates and teachers who were peacefully protesting at Ramlila Maidan is not only shameful but also the hallmark of a cowardly government." "The youth had only demanded their rights -- employment and justice -- but got lathi-charged," said the Leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha.

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44 protestors detained, no laathi-charge, says police

"It is clear the Modi government is neither concerned about the youth of the country, nor about their future. Why should it be? This government has come to power not by the votes of the people, but by stealing votes," Gandhi said.

He went on to say, "First, they will steal votes. Then they will steal exams. Then they will steal jobs. Then they will crush your rights and voice, both! Youth, farmers, poor, Bahujans and minorities, they do not want your vote, so your demands will never be their priority." Now is the time, not to be afraid, but to fight boldly, Gandhi asserted.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also slammed the Centre over the issue. The use of police force on the SSC students protesting at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan is "inhuman and shameful", she said in a post in Hindi on X. "The youth of the entire country are troubled by rigging in every exam, scam in every recruitment and paper leaks. The corruption in the recruitment process and exams under the BJP rule is ruining the future of the youth," Priyanka Gandhi said.

"Instead of correcting it and listening to the youth, lathi-charging them is unfortunate. Instead of being cruel to the students, they should be heard," she said. According to a senior Delhi Police officer, around 1,500 protestors gathered at Ramlila Maidan, and 100 refused to leave the site after the permitted time despite multiple requests and intimations.

"Out of those who were not leaving, 44 protestors were detained. There was no laathi-charge," the officer said. The SSC exam has seen numerous complaints of abrupt cancellations, server crashes, unresponsive systems, and exam centres located as far as 500 km from candidates' homes.