Rahul Gandhi targets Modi-Shah 'system' at Indore student event

Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Saturday addressed a student gathering in Indore, where he levelled a series of allegations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, describing them as the architects of a system that favours unquestioning followers over students who ask questions.

The event, the fifth edition of his student outreach programme titled 'Chhatron Ki Goonj', was built around the theme "system versus students". Previous editions were held in Kota, Dehradun, Prayagraj and Pune.

Opening his address before a packed audience, Gandhi asked students what they believed was working against them. He said the system comprised several layers, with six people at the top. He named Modi as the head of this structure and described Shah as its enforcer, alleging that the suppression of students was his responsibility. He further alleged that National Security Advisor Ajit Doval controls communications in the country, including telephone tapping, and supplies information to Modi and Shah.

Turning to the RSS, Gandhi alleged that Bhagwat had provided thousands of crores of rupees to run schools, colleges and other institutions.

Gandhi then alleged that public money meant for education was being diverted to benefit billionaires. He claimed that funds earned through contracts related to schools and universities were channelled to the BJP for Modi's marketing and to sustain the system. Citing cricket administration as another example, he said the entire sport had been handed over to Shah's son, while noting the contributions of players such as Sachin Tendulkar and Kapil Dev.

Central to his argument was the claim that students pose a challenge to this structure because they ask questions. He said the system preferred blind followers, who, in his telling, never question why schools and colleges have deteriorated, why infrastructure has broken down or why examination papers are leaked. Students, he said, raise these issues and give them a voice.

Gandhi said India had once built institutions such as the IITs and Navodaya Vidyalayas, but alleged that this process was now being reversed. He claimed that education's share of the budget had fallen from 4.6 per cent in 2014 to 2.6 per cent, and that Rs 7.7 lakh crore that should have gone to education had instead gone to billionaires, naming Adani and Ambani. He also alleged that scholarships had been withdrawn from 1.5 crore students over the past decade and that one lakh government schools had been shut down, with 55 per cent of those closures in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Gandhi played a video about the collapse of a five-storeyed building in Delhi's Satya Niketan on September 6. The family of an 18-year-old victim, Arpit Jaj, attended the event and interacted with him. His sister, Priyanshi Jaj, told Gandhi that innocent lives were being lost due to the system's irresponsibility and asked what her brother's fault had been. Gandhi assured the family of his support in their fight for justice.

He concluded by appealing to students, saying they could eliminate the violence and hatred being spread in the country, something he said a blind follower never could.

The event itself had faced multiple hurdles before receiving clearance from Indore authorities. It was originally scheduled for September 12 at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, but the district administration denied permission, citing a Madhya Pradesh High Court order restricting the stadium to sporting events and state-level government programmes. The Congress then shifted the programme to a 12,000-square-metre IDA ground opposite Regional Park, paying Rs 10.08 lakh for a temporary lease from September 17 to 19. The IDA later demanded an additional Rs 4.03 lakh, claiming an inspection found that 4,800 square metres had been used from September 14, three days before the approved period. The Congress also objected to the Indore Police's security note, which invoked the Justice J.S. Verma Commission's findings on security lapses surrounding the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.