Congress Accuses BJP-RSS of Hollowing Out Education System, Backs Rahul Gandhi
Congress alleges BJP-RSS have corrupted India's education system and says Rahul Gandhi stands with students demanding accountability.
The Congress on Sunday alleged that the BJP and the RSS have hollowed out and corrupted the country's education system, and asserted that Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi is standing with students demanding accountability.
The party's charge followed Mr. Gandhi's remarks a day earlier at the fifth edition of his youth outreach programme, Chhatron Ki Goonj, held in Indore — a BJP stronghold — where he spoke on the theme of "system versus students" and interacted with Gen Z and other young participants on education, recruitment and employment.
At the event, Mr. Gandhi said a rotten "system", particularly in education, had captured the country and did not want students to ask questions, preferring instead "andhbhakts", or blind followers. He said students were curious, questioned authority and sought answers about institutions, recruitment, examinations and opportunities, while blind followers lacked those qualities and spread hatred instead.
He further alleged that the "system" operated in several layers, naming Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and industrialists Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani as exercising control over different aspects of the country's political, institutional and economic life. Students, he said, posed a challenge to this arrangement because they remained inquisitive.
Responding to Mr. Gandhi's post on the programme, Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said in Hindi on X that the Opposition leader had "revealed the secret of this system that has been suppressing students".
"Who is this system? The people of BJP-RSS who have seized control over the entire country — over education, the economy, politics and every institution," Mr. Ramesh said. He alleged that they had hollowed out and corrupted the education system because "this system fears students", who ask questions and demand accountability.
"Now Rahul ji stands with them, the fear among students has ended. Their voice is echoing across the entire country," he added.
Mr. Gandhi's Indore visit came a day after RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat interacted with 1,700 Gen Z participants at the Yuva Dharma Sansad in Ujjain on Friday, and two days after BJP president Nitin Nabin launched a government scheme in Indore on Thursday during his maiden visit to Madhya Pradesh after taking charge as the party's national chief. Mr. Nabin's visit was widely seen as a BJP effort to counter the impact of Mr. Gandhi's programme in the city.