AAP accused Rahul Gandhi and PM Modi of conspiring to weaken the CJP protest.
Sanjay Singh and Atishi questioned how Congress reached near the PM’s residence.
Rahul Gandhi vowed to continue demanding justice and Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation.
Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh on Tuesday alleged that Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi ‘conspired’ with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to “weaken” the Cockroach Janata Party’s protest, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Sanjay Singh’s remarks came after Rahul Gandhi was ‘forcibly’ removed from a Congress-led protest near PM Modi’s official residence on Lok Kalyan Marg in New Delhi.
“To weaken the CJP's dharna, Modi ji has seated Rahul Gandhi on a dharna at his residence,” Singh said in a post on X.
Former Delhi Chief Minister Atishi also backed Sanjay Singh’s allegations, raising questions over Congress’ acess to reach outside PM residence.
“Also very interesting: the same Delhi Police that was not allowing CJP to move even 100 metres towards Parliament, allowed Rahul Gandhi to reach right outside PM Residence! Do we need any more evidence that Congress-BJP is one unit?” she said.
The Congress leaders had marched towards the Prime Minister’s residence to protest the police action against participants in the Cockroach Janata Party’s march to Parliament a day earlier. They were stopped near the beginning of Lok Kalyan Marg, where they staged a sit-in before being taken into custody.
Rahul Gandhi Vows To Coninue Fight
Rahul Gandhi vowed to continue “fight for justice” for students after he was ‘forcibly’ removed from the Congress-led protest near Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official residence on Lok Kalyan Marg in New Delhi.
“Modi Ji, try every pressure, exert all your might - this fight for justice for students will now not stop or be halted,” Rahul Gandhi said in a post on X, sharing the pictures of Delhi Police’s action to remove him from the protest site.
Congress Insists On Pradhan’s Resignation
The Congress leaders detentions came after the Centre indicated that it was prepared to discuss concerns related to the education and examination systems in Parliament.
Rahul Gandhi, however, insisted that Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan should first resign. The Congress has also demanded that Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah either apologise for the police action against the protesters or step down.
The party accused the government of failing to take responsibility for the alleged use of force during the CJP’s ‘Chalo Sansad’ march, in which several demonstrators were reportedly injured.
In a post on X, Gandhi said the government could no longer avoid accountability.
“PM Modi believes he can get away without answers, without consequences. He cannot. Not this time,” he wrote.
In another post, he said the Congress had marched to the Prime Minister’s residence to seek answers over the treatment of the protesters.
“We have marched to PM Modi’s house to demand answers from him for the brutalities against young students yesterday. The Government doesn’t want to take any accountability [n]or does it want to have a debate on it in Parliament. PM and HM must resign for destroying the future of India’s youth,” Gandhi posted.
Government Accepts Parliamentary Discussion
Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh met Rahul Gandhi after the Opposition march was halted near the Prime Minister’s residence.
Singh reportedly conveyed that the government was willing to hold a discussion in Parliament on Wednesday on the issues raised by the student protesters.
The Congress, however, remained firm on its demand for Pradhan’s resignation before the proposed debate. It also continued to seek an apology from the Prime Minister over the police action.
Congress’ Distance From CJP Protest
The Congress as a party stayed largely silent on the CJP, founded by an ex-AAP social media strategist Abhijeet Dipke, for over two weeks. Dipke and others in CJP have in the past criticised the Congress and Rahul Gandhi, and have largely avoided amplifying support from or to the Congress on the common demand for Pradhan's resignation.
Gandhi did not visit Wangchuk through the length of his fast, which drew jibes from Wangchuk himself and a rebuttal from Gujarat Congress leader Jignesh Mevani, even as Gandhi ran a parallel campaign, ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj', on the same paper-leak and NEET grievances.
Eventually, Congress MP and spokesman Pawan Khera visited Jantar Mantar on July 17 to meet Wangchuk, marking the party's first visible official participation in the protest.
