NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks on the students who protested against alleged irregularities in the NEET examination. He accused the Prime Minsiter of failing to acknowledge the suffering of students and their families.In a post on X, the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha said the real issue was not the conduct of the protesters but the failures of the education system that had left thousands of students uncertain about their futures.“Nothing is more painful than seeing a parent grieve their child. Behind every young life lost is a family carrying pain that will never leave them – and serious questions about a broken education system,” Rahul wrote.Referring to the controversy surrounding the medical entrance examination, he added, “Leaked papers. Cancelled exams. Years of preparation destroyed overnight. Our students are told to work honestly in a system that is not honest with them.”Rahul also took aim at the Prime Minister’s comments about forgiving students who participated in the protests.“And the Prime Minister has the audacity to speak of ‘forgiving’ students. He has not met a single grieving parent. He has not sat with a single student whose future was stolen by a leaked paper. India’s students do not need his forgiveness. They are owed his apology,” he said.His remarks came a day after PM Modi released a late-night video message on Instagram addressing the protests over the alleged NEET irregularities. The Prime Minister said he was compelled to speak after hearing about the language used against him and his late mother during demonstrations at Jantar Mantar.PM Modi said he could understand the anguish prevailing in society but urged people to respond with compassion rather than anger. “Not only was I subjected to abusive language at Jantar Mantar, but even my late mother was abused there with filthy language. But abuses never solve anything; let’s guide the misguided,” he said.
Share your thoughts in the comments
Be respectful · TOI community guidelines
Calling the protesters “our children”, the Prime Minister said they should be forgiven rather than punished. “We must forgive our youth who were misguided; after all, they are our children. It’s our duty to show them the right path,” he said, adding that society should embrace young people and help them learn from their mistakes instead of dragging them through courts or public humiliation.The protests over the alleged NEET examination irregularities began at Jantar Mantar on June 20 under the banner of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and concluded on July 25 after the Centre accepted the group’s demands and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned. The agitation drew support from opposition parties and culminated in a march to Parliament on July 20 that saw clashes with police, including lathicharge and the use of tear gas.
