Opposition MPs Join Student Protests: Candlelight March to Gandhi Smriti
NEW DELHI: Opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) from various parties took out a 'candlelight march' on Thursday to the Gandhi Smriti, expressing solidarity with students protesting the NEET paper leak. The march came two days after the MPs held a dharna outside the Prime Minister's residence and were forcibly evacuated by police.
The MPs, belonging to the Congress, Samajwadi Party (SP), Trinamool Congress (TMC), Left parties, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Shiv Sena and others, assembled at the residence of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. From there, they walked to the Gandhi Smriti, holding their phone torches. The marchers included Rahul Gandhi, K C Venugopal, Ramjilal Suman, Supriya Sule, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, N K Premachandran, John Brittas, Sandosh Kumar, Sudhakar Singh, Misa Bharti, Arvind Sawant, Saugata Roy and Mahua Moitra.
Speaking during the march, Rahul Gandhi said, 'We go to remember the students we lost - the children driven to take their own lives after the NEET paper leak. And we go to stand with the students who lie injured today - beaten for peacefully demanding justice and accountability. India's students are not alone. The entire opposition stands with them and their demands.'
The NEET paper leak, which came to light earlier this year, led to widespread protests by students demanding a fair investigation and accountability. The protests escalated after police used pellet guns, shock batons, and tear gas to disperse demonstrators near the Parliament complex, resulting in injuries to several students.
Congress leader P Chidambaram criticized the government's response, saying, 'All roads are barricaded, and hundreds of policemen are mobilised to 'secure' the roads of Delhi. What is the government afraid of? Why this sense of panic?'
Earlier, the Congress party had dismissed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement assuring the protesting youth. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, 'The students don't need platitudes after the government used pellet guns, shock batons, and tear gas on them.' He demanded a thorough investigation into the paper leak and compensation for the victims' families.
The protest comes amid ongoing tensions between the opposition and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over various issues, including unemployment and education reforms. The opposition has accused the government of suppressing dissent and using excessive force against peaceful protesters.
