Lok Sabha Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday lashed out at the "system" for preventing students from raising questions at the latest edition of his 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' event.
Held in Indore this time amid the teaching aspirants' protest in the state, he alleged that students were being targeted because they questioned the functioning of institutions and the opportunities available to them, offering to join their protest.
"The system does not want students; it wants 'andhbhakts (blind devotees)'. An andhbhakt is the antithesis of a student. While a student asks questions and remains curious, an andhbhakt lives in a delusional world of their own," he said at the event.
These remarks came at the fifth edition of his youth outreach initiative, which has focused on issues concerning education, examinations, recruitment and employment.
He had earlier invited students, parents, and teachers to share their experiences and concerns about the education system ahead of the Indore event.
"The very system designed to help and protect them, and to safeguard universities and colleges, is the one attacking them," he added, taking potshots at various BJP leaders and non-politicians.
He then defined the "system", alleging that it comprised PM Modi at the top to "handle the intimidation", with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval beside him. He also alleged that Mohan Bhagwat was behind the ideology of the system, while he claimed Adani, Ambani and others were involved from the outside.
"Universities are simply unable to cooperate; there is fraud going on everywhere. There is a complete lack of transparency. All we want is a proper solution to the issues we have brought to you so that all our problems can be resolved," said one among the many that interacted with him onstage and from the audience.
On the Satya Niketan tragedy
The event also saw the Congress leader interact with the family members of 21-year-old Arpit Jaj, a Dewas resident who had lost his life after the tragic collapse of a hostel building in Delhi's Satya Niketan area.
This is part of the Congress's continuing plan to tap into sentiments around student issues, from the NEET paper leak protests to the Satya Niketan tragedy.
However, in Delhi itself, the Congress-backed National Students Union of India (NSUI) was unable to unseat the Akhila Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), failing to win any of the four central posts up for grabs.
The Satya Niketan tragedy has now become one of the first demands made by Yash Dabas, who has said that his first priority after being made the DUSU president is to push for a safety audit of college hostels and PG accommodations.
Deepanshu Shokeen, who had contested as an independent after the NSUI refused to give him a ticket, has also said that he would seek justice for those who lost their lives in the Satya Niketan building collapse.
