Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have strongly condemned the use of force against student protesters, labeling it an attack on democracy and youth voices.
Kejriwal’s Statement:
In a post on X, Kejriwal criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) governments for their handling of student protests, stating:
“BJP governments want to suppress every voice of protest with the help of sticks. Lathi charge on peacefully protesting students is a direct attack against democracy.”
Kejriwal emphasized the importance of listening to the youth, whom he called the future of the nation. He added, “Lathi charge on the protesters shows the weakness and insensitivity of those in power. The country will never forgive such injustice to the youth. We stand with all these students.”
Priyanka Gandhi’s Response:
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also condemned the lathi charge on students in Bihar, who were demanding the cancellation of the Integrated Combined (Preliminary) Competitive Examination (CCE) 2024 conducted by the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC).
In her post on X, Gandhi criticized the Bihar government, which she referred to as part of the BJP’s “double-engine government,” accusing it of committing “double atrocities” against the youth.
“It is the government’s job to stop corruption, rigging, and paper leaks in examinations. But instead of stopping corruption, students are being prevented from raising their voices. Water cannons and lathi-charges on youth in this harsh cold are inhumane,” she wrote.
Gandhi further asserted that the government’s actions reflected insensitivity toward students’ grievances and reiterated her support for the protesting youth.
Both leaders have called for accountability and demanded that the voices of students be heard instead of being suppressed, urging the respective governments to focus on addressing the core issues of corruption and inefficiencies in competitive examinations.