Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Sept 20: The Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday attacked the Narendra Modi government stating that the “System” running the country did not like students as they raise questions about happenings around them and only prefer “andhabhakts” (blind followers) who did not question but only blindly followed and appreciated the “system.”
He also flagged the issue of lack of hostel facilities for female students and questioned if the Prime Minister Narendra Modi had any answer to the problems of the girl students. He wrote about the lack of hostel facilities for female students across the country in a post on X on Sunday quoting a girl student who raised the issue during his ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ event in Indore on Saturday.
The event, however, sparked a major controversy and sharp criticism from the BJP after a person was seen in a video mimicking the Prime Minister and making adverse remarks about his talks with the foreign leaders and his interaction with an elderly woman at a previous rally from the dais during the Indore event with Mr Rahul Gandhi seen enjoying the caricature.
Calling it Rahul Gandhi’s “uncouth culture,” BJP national spokesperson CR Kesavan said Rahul Gandhi had insulted women by ‘mocking a frail mother.’ In a post on X, Kesavan alleged that Rahul Gandhi had shared the stage with individuals who mocked an elderly woman by referring to her as a “setting” and accused the Congress leader of laughing at the remarks.
“Rahul Gandhi shared the stage yesterday with cheap, vulgar trolls who insulted our Naari Shakti by mocking a frail elderly Mataji as a ‘setting’,” Kesavan said. Kesavan further alleged that the incident reflected an ‘uncouth culture’ and claimed that such conduct was one of the reasons Rahul Gandhi had failed to connect with the youth. He also referred to remarks attributed to Congress MP Shashi Tharoor regarding Gandhi’s ability to resonate with young people.
Kesavan linked his criticism to the recent Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections, claiming that the Congress was “routed and blanked out” by young voters. The remarks were part of Kesavan’s political criticism of the Congress and Rahul Gandhi.
The BJP leader also contrasted the alleged incident with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s conduct towards an elderly woman, saying that Modi had ensured that a chair was provided for the aged woman. “While PM Narendra Modi ji, in a thoughtful gesture, ensured a chair for the aged elder, Rahul Gandhi indulges in revelry when they are being shamelessly disrespected,” Kesavan said. Kesavan further criticised Gandhi’s political leadership, alleging that his support for what he described as “crude circus shows” demonstrated a lack of seriousness.
Mr while addressing the students at the event said that the students posed a danger to the “system” as they questioned why institutions like judiciary, bureaucracy and the Election Commission “are not doing their jobs properly.”
“This is why the ‘system’ does not want students. It wants andhbhakts who are anti-students. It prepares and promotes andhbhakts. While students are curious, the andhbhakts are delusional and live in their own world. While students talk about love and respect, the andhbhakts spread hatred. While students are humble and listen to others, the andhbhakts are filled with arrogance. While students are fearless, the andhbhakts are cowards. While students respect women, the andhbhakts are patriarchal and attack women. While students are honest, the andhbhakts are dishonest and liars,” he said.
Mr Gandhi claimed that those who run the “system” themselves did not want their children to become andhbhkts and sent them to study abroad. Mr Gandhi alleged that a “system” had captured the country and was against students and the education system. He said the “system” was being controlled by a handful of powerful people, but students posed a danger to it as they raised questions.
“‘The government has money to light diyas – why not for our hostels?’ This question was asked of me yesterday by a female student in Indore. She came to the city from a village to study,” Gandhi said recalling the interaction. “There’s no hostel, so she has to stay in a PG. Just to stay safe, lakhs are spent. The worry of monthly rent, and the fear of becoming homeless – she has to study amidst all this,” Mr Gandhi said in his post in Hindi.
“Many girls drop out of their studies for this very reason – because there’s no place to live,” the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said. “And what about the housing allowance? It doesn’t increase with inflation, and on top of that, it falls prey to corruption. Narendra Modi ji – Do you have any answer to that little girl’s question?” Mr Gandhi asked.
Tagging Mr Gandhi’s post, Congress’ media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said, “PR events. Designer clothes. Luxury cars. Aircraft. Skincare. Modi has money for everything except the education of India’s youth.” “No adequate infrastructure. No quality teachers. No training. No hostels. No jobs. At this point, the authenticity of his degree is almost irrelevant. His contempt for education explains how ‘educated’ he is,” he said.
“The system is afraid of students because students ask questions. The system does not want students; it wants ‘andhbhakts’,” Mr Gandhi had said in Indore. He said students were curious, questioned authority and sought answers about the functioning of institutions, recruitment, examinations and opportunities, while “andhbhakts” lacked these qualities and instead spread hatred.
Mr Gandhi claimed that the “system” had several layers and targeted Prime Minister Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and industrialists Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani, alleging that they exercised control over different aspects of the country’s political, institutional and economic life. “Students posed a challenge to this system because they remained curious and questioned what was happening around them,” Mr Gandhi had said.
Mr Gandhi said he had held the ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ event in cities like Kota, Pune, Dehradun and Prayagraj, raising students’ issues such as paper leaks, institutional failure, infrastructural collapse and privatisation. “In Indore, we have decided that we will talk about the ‘system’ vs students today,” he said, addressing thousands of youth at Indore’s IDA ground.
“The system has various layers. At the top, there are six people. The system is run by [Prime Minister] Narendra Modiji. The tasks of threatening and beating up students with a nail-studded baton and pellet guns are done by [Union Home Minister] Amit Shah ji; he is the enforcer,” Mr Gandhi said, displaying pictures of several BJP and RSS leaders, top bureaucrats, industrialists and media and film personalities.
The Congress MP further accused Mr Doval of digital spying on people by tapping phones and social media. “Ajit Doval says in informal conversation that ‘if you want to control India, you just have to control 500 people.’ He has captured India’s communication. He gets phones tapped and provides information to Amit Shah ji and Narendra Modi ji. Doval is sitting in mine and your phones,” he says.
Mr Gandhi also charged that RSS sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat brought ideology to the table and in return, “crores of rupees are given to his organisation to run educational institutions.” He alleged that industrialist Gautam Adani “finances” the system and “channels the money” earned through government contracts. “All that money is channeled and given to the BJP for Narendra Modi ji’s marketing and to run the ‘system’,” he said.
“Below this layer, there are different people who have captured every institution, like politics, business, judiciary, bureaucracy, education, media, entertainment and sports. The ‘system’ has placed its people in every institution,” he said.
“For example, the ‘system’ has given the entire contract of cricket to Amit Shah’s son [Jay Shah] despite the country having many cricket players. They have divided all the institutions among them like this,” he said. Mr Gandhi further said the students posed a danger to the “system” as they questioned why institutions like judiciary, bureaucracy and the Election Commission “are not doing their jobs properly.”
He also claimed that more than one lakh schools had been shut across the country and that 55% of them were in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh alone. He claimed that the Union government’s education budget allocation had come down from 4.6% of total budget outlay in 2014 to 2.6% in 2026.
Many students and government job aspirants who were called on to the stage raised issues faced in Madhya Pradesh, including delayed recruitment to government jobs, the holding of government vacancies due to the sub judice OBC reservation hike case and delay in holding nursing exams, which has prompted students to protest.
The family of Arpit Jaj, an 18-year-old student from Dewas who died in the Delhi building collapse earlier this month, also met Mr Gandhi on the stage and alleged that their son had died due to the “system’s failure.” “This is the cost of not having the infrastructure and cutting down on government’s [education] budget,” he said after meeting Jaj’s family.
As Mr Gandhi pitted the students against “andhbhakts,” he said the students were the future of India, and no country could become strong without them. “We want that the hope in your hearts that has broken comes back fast once again; you start believing in education, and the system; and the country should run with the force of your strengths and qualities — curiosity, honesty, compassion and love,” he said.
“The students can erase the hate and violence going on in the country. Only the students can do it; the andhbhakts can never erase it. We want an India of students, not of andhbhakts. We don’t want an India of arrogance, hate and violence. We want to hear your voice. Never forget that you are the future of this country,” Mr Gandhi said.