‘Barbarity of Modi govt’: Rahul Gandhi attacks Centre over July 20 protest crackdown | India News
NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi on Saturday criticised the PM Modi-led Centre and the Delhi police over what he called the “brutality” during the July 20 student protests in Delhi.He said that in today’s India, students protesting for their rights are getting “pellets” instead of “justice”.In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi shared a video of a youth who was allegedly injured after being hit by pellets fired by the Delhi Police during the protest against paper leaks.“Sahil was standing with the Tricolour in his hand, merely asking for a clean, fair exam and the fruit of his hard work–the police raised a gun and badly injured him by firing pellets. This is not British tyranny; it is the barbarity of the Modi government in independent India–where innocent students demanding their rights receive pellets instead of justice,” the post read.The protesters march to Parliament turned violent, leaving more than 118 police personnel injured, including senior officers such as the Special Commissioner, Joint Commissioner, Additional Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, Additional Deputy Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner of Police. Several women police personnel were also injured. Around 60 protesters were reportedly hurt during the clashes.Meanwhile, on Friday, the Union Cabinet approved amendments to the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, to further strengthen the anti-paper leak law amid the continuing nationwide protests over the NEET-UG issue. Sources told news agency ANI the amendment Bill is likely to be introduced in Parliament on Monday, July 27.The decision came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a late-night video message on X, promised “stricter” action against paper leaks as protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party continued. He also announced that the Union Cabinet would take up a draft Bill.Social activist Sonam Wangchuk has also ended his 26-day hunger strike at Medanta Hospital in the presence of Union ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh after receiving a written assurance from the Union government on the NEET issue and broader reforms in the country’s competitive examination system