Who ordered AK-47, pellet guns on students? Priyanka Gandhi targets PM, Amit Shah
Participating in the debate on the Public Examinations Bill, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accused the government of treating students like terrorists and directly questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the police action.
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday launched a blistering attack on the Centre in the Lok Sabha, questioning the use of force against students protesting over alleged exam irregularities and demanding to know who ordered the crackdown.
Participating in the debate on the Public Examinations Bill, Priyanka accused the government of treating students like terrorists and directly questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the police action.
"What was the need to fire tear gas shells, lathi-charge students, use water cannons, pellet guns and AK-47s against them? Were they terrorists?" she asked.
As treasury bench members interrupted her speech, Priyanka hit back, saying, "Yes, the Congress is asking these questions. Now answer them." She repeatedly demanded to know who had authorised the use of force against the protesters.
"Who gave the order? Was it the Prime Minister or the Home Minister? Will the Home Minister answer? The entire country is asking these questions, not just the Congress," she said.
Priyanka also alleged that young women protesters were humiliated during the police action. "What was the need to tear the clothes of young girls and beat them mercilessly?" she asked.
Accusing the government of fearing the country's youth instead of listening to their concerns, she said, "Why are you afraid of the youth of this country? Why are you afraid of their voice? Who gave you the right to suppress it?"
'PARLIAMENT IS A FORUM OF ACCOUNTABILITY'
Calling Parliament a forum of accountability rather than a seat of power, Priyanka said elected representatives were duty-bound to answer the people.
"This House does not belong to those sitting here. It belongs to the people of India. We are servants of the people, not their masters. Democracy and the Constitution are supreme. Destroying them is a sin," she said.
Referring to the recent student protests, she said thousands of young people had demonstrated peacefully while following Mahatma Gandhi's principles of truth and non-violence.
"These are children from villages, towns and cities. Their parents sell jewellery, mortgage land and spend their life's savings on educating them. Today, these students are beginning to believe that dishonesty matters more than hard work. That is the biggest tragedy," she said.
'EXAM SYSTEM HAS FAILED'
The Wayanad MP said the country's examination system had "failed itself", alleging that repeated paper leaks had shattered the faith of young people.
"In the last decade, 152 papers have leaked. But there has not been a single conviction," she said, adding that the government's failure to act had eroded students' confidence in the examination system.
She accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP of refusing to acknowledge the crisis.
"PM Modi and his friends are refusing to accept reality. They still think they can control the narrative and communication," she said.
Targeting the BJP over the welcome accorded to former Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in Parliament, Priyanka questioned the government's priorities.
"Dharmendra Pradhan was welcomed in Parliament. What kind of hubris is this? On one side there is sorrow, and you are garlanding him," she said.
'BIGGEST THEFT IS OF THE YOUTH'S DREAMS'
Concluding her speech, Priyanka alleged that the police action against protesting students had damaged the government's credibility rather than silencing the protesters.
"The lathis did not strike the backs of students; they struck the credibility of this government," she said.
She accused the BJP-led government of betraying the aspirations of young people.
"Under this government, there has been vote chori, chanda chori and farmers' land chori. But the biggest theft has been the theft of the dreams of the youth," she said.
Asserting that the Opposition would continue to fight for students and the country's future, Priyanka said, "The Congress and the Opposition are ready to sacrifice our lives, but we will not let India lose."
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday launched a blistering attack on the Centre in the Lok Sabha, questioning the use of force against students protesting over alleged exam irregularities and demanding to know who ordered the crackdown.
Participating in the debate on the Public Examinations Bill, Priyanka accused the government of treating students like terrorists and directly questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the police action.
"What was the need to fire tear gas shells, lathi-charge students, use water cannons, pellet guns and AK-47s against them? Were they terrorists?" she asked.
As treasury bench members interrupted her speech, Priyanka hit back, saying, "Yes, the Congress is asking these questions. Now answer them." She repeatedly demanded to know who had authorised the use of force against the protesters.
"Who gave the order? Was it the Prime Minister or the Home Minister? Will the Home Minister answer? The entire country is asking these questions, not just the Congress," she said.
Priyanka also alleged that young women protesters were humiliated during the police action. "What was the need to tear the clothes of young girls and beat them mercilessly?" she asked.
Accusing the government of fearing the country's youth instead of listening to their concerns, she said, "Why are you afraid of the youth of this country? Why are you afraid of their voice? Who gave you the right to suppress it?"
'PARLIAMENT IS A FORUM OF ACCOUNTABILITY'
Calling Parliament a forum of accountability rather than a seat of power, Priyanka said elected representatives were duty-bound to answer the people.
"This House does not belong to those sitting here. It belongs to the people of India. We are servants of the people, not their masters. Democracy and the Constitution are supreme. Destroying them is a sin," she said.
Referring to the recent student protests, she said thousands of young people had demonstrated peacefully while following Mahatma Gandhi's principles of truth and non-violence.
"These are children from villages, towns and cities. Their parents sell jewellery, mortgage land and spend their life's savings on educating them. Today, these students are beginning to believe that dishonesty matters more than hard work. That is the biggest tragedy," she said.
'EXAM SYSTEM HAS FAILED'
The Wayanad MP said the country's examination system had "failed itself", alleging that repeated paper leaks had shattered the faith of young people.
"In the last decade, 152 papers have leaked. But there has not been a single conviction," she said, adding that the government's failure to act had eroded students' confidence in the examination system.
She accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP of refusing to acknowledge the crisis.
"PM Modi and his friends are refusing to accept reality. They still think they can control the narrative and communication," she said.
Targeting the BJP over the welcome accorded to former Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in Parliament, Priyanka questioned the government's priorities.
"Dharmendra Pradhan was welcomed in Parliament. What kind of hubris is this? On one side there is sorrow, and you are garlanding him," she said.
'BIGGEST THEFT IS OF THE YOUTH'S DREAMS'
Concluding her speech, Priyanka alleged that the police action against protesting students had damaged the government's credibility rather than silencing the protesters.
"The lathis did not strike the backs of students; they struck the credibility of this government," she said.
She accused the BJP-led government of betraying the aspirations of young people.
"Under this government, there has been vote chori, chanda chori and farmers' land chori. But the biggest theft has been the theft of the dreams of the youth," she said.
Asserting that the Opposition would continue to fight for students and the country's future, Priyanka said, "The Congress and the Opposition are ready to sacrifice our lives, but we will not let India lose."
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday launched a blistering attack on the Centre in the Lok Sabha, questioning the use of force against students protesting over alleged exam irregularities and demanding to know who ordered the crackdown.
Participating in the debate on the Public Examinations Bill, Priyanka accused the government of treating students like terrorists and directly questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the police action.
"What was the need to fire tear gas shells, lathi-charge students, use water cannons, pellet guns and AK-47s against them? Were they terrorists?" she asked.
As treasury bench members interrupted her speech, Priyanka hit back, saying, "Yes, the Congress is asking these questions. Now answer them." She repeatedly demanded to know who had authorised the use of force against the protesters.
"Who gave the order? Was it the Prime Minister or the Home Minister? Will the Home Minister answer? The entire country is asking these questions, not just the Congress," she said.
Priyanka also alleged that young women protesters were humiliated during the police action. "What was the need to tear the clothes of young girls and beat them mercilessly?" she asked.
Accusing the government of fearing the country's youth instead of listening to their concerns, she said, "Why are you afraid of the youth of this country? Why are you afraid of their voice? Who gave you the right to suppress it?"
'PARLIAMENT IS A FORUM OF ACCOUNTABILITY'
Calling Parliament a forum of accountability rather than a seat of power, Priyanka said elected representatives were duty-bound to answer the people.
"This House does not belong to those sitting here. It belongs to the people of India. We are servants of the people, not their masters. Democracy and the Constitution are supreme. Destroying them is a sin," she said.
Referring to the recent student protests, she said thousands of young people had demonstrated peacefully while following Mahatma Gandhi's principles of truth and non-violence.
"These are children from villages, towns and cities. Their parents sell jewellery, mortgage land and spend their life's savings on educating them. Today, these students are beginning to believe that dishonesty matters more than hard work. That is the biggest tragedy," she said.
'EXAM SYSTEM HAS FAILED'
The Wayanad MP said the country's examination system had "failed itself", alleging that repeated paper leaks had shattered the faith of young people.
"In the last decade, 152 papers have leaked. But there has not been a single conviction," she said, adding that the government's failure to act had eroded students' confidence in the examination system.
She accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP of refusing to acknowledge the crisis.
"PM Modi and his friends are refusing to accept reality. They still think they can control the narrative and communication," she said.
Targeting the BJP over the welcome accorded to former Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in Parliament, Priyanka questioned the government's priorities.
"Dharmendra Pradhan was welcomed in Parliament. What kind of hubris is this? On one side there is sorrow, and you are garlanding him," she said.
'BIGGEST THEFT IS OF THE YOUTH'S DREAMS'
Concluding her speech, Priyanka alleged that the police action against protesting students had damaged the government's credibility rather than silencing the protesters.
"The lathis did not strike the backs of students; they struck the credibility of this government," she said.
She accused the BJP-led government of betraying the aspirations of young people.
"Under this government, there has been vote chori, chanda chori and farmers' land chori. But the biggest theft has been the theft of the dreams of the youth," she said.
Asserting that the Opposition would continue to fight for students and the country's future, Priyanka said, "The Congress and the Opposition are ready to sacrifice our lives, but we will not let India lose."
