INDORE (MP) — Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday alleged that a rotten "system", especially in education, had captured the country and did not want students to ask questions, instead wanting "andhbhakts" -- a term commonly used by critics of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his supporters -- to spread its narrative and hatred.
The remarks came at the fifth edition of Gandhi's youth outreach programme 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' in Indore, the commercial capital of Malwa and a BJP stronghold, where he spoke on the theme 'system versus students' and interacted with Gen Z and other young participants on education, recruitment and employment issues.
His visit came a day after RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat interacted with 1,700 Gen Z participants at the 'Yuva Dharma Sansad' in Ujjain and two days after BJP president Nitin Nabin, on his maiden visit to Madhya Pradesh after taking charge as the party's national chief, launched a government scheme in Indore. Nabin's sudden visit was seen by many as a BJP move aimed at countering the impact of Gandhi's programme in the city.
"The system is afraid of students because students ask questions. The system does not want students; it wants 'andhbhakts'," Gandhi said.
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.
Gandhi alleged that the "system" had several layers and targeted Prime Minister Narendra 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.
He alleged that Doval controlled communications and indulged in snooping.
Students posed a challenge to this system because they remained curious and questioned what was happening around them, Gandhi added.
Gandhi also showed a video featuring what he called "andhbhakts", where BJP MP and actor Kangana Ranaut was seen stating that India's independence in 1947 was "bheekh" (alms or a handout) and that the country got "real freedom" in 2014. The video also had a man saying he did not want roads but a temple, and another claiming that China could have conquered India had the Modi government not been in power.
The Congress leader cited questions that students, according to him, were asking about the functioning of institutions, recruitment, the business sector and cricket administration.
"Students ask questions," and this was why, in his view, the system did not want students and instead wanted "andhbhakts", Gandhi said.
Students from different parts of Madhya Pradesh then raised issues at the event, including the withholding of 13 per cent of government appointments amid legal proceedings over the increase in the OBC quota.
A woman student from Rajgarh, Sapna Gurjar, told Gandhi that many candidates who had cleared state government examinations were suffering as appointments remained on hold over the OBC quota issue.
A student alleged that he and others were booked and jailed after raising concerns over irregularities in the Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission (MPPSC). Gandhi also offered to join the ongoing protest by teacher-job aspirants in the state.
A tribal woman student raised the issue of inadequate hostels and other facilities for Adivasi students.
Gandhi said students were the foundation of the country and education was their right, not a luxury or a favour.
"From kindergarten to school, from mid-day meal, from school to college, from university to employment, fulfilling all these requirements is the job of the government. It is not your job," he said.
He said providing education was the responsibility of the government and not businesses, alleging that the country was witnessing a reversal of the expansion of schools, IITs and universities.
"First, IITs were built. Schools were built. Universities were built. Now, everything is being rewound," Gandhi said, adding that he would present figures and evidence to support his claims on the state of education.
Gandhi claimed that around 10 lakh teacher posts were vacant across the country and alleged that 1.5 crore students had been deprived of scholarships over the past decade. He also claimed that the share of education in the Union Budget had declined from 4.6 per cent in 2014 to 2.6 per cent.
He said students had lost faith in the system, though he acknowledged that candidates were also at fault in some cases.
When Gandhi asked students about their experience with the system, some responded, "Sir, we have lost to the system." He said corruption within examination systems, including paper leaks, could jeopardise the future of lakhs of students.
During the programme, Gandhi screened a video on the recent Satya Niketan building collapse in Delhi and met the family of Arpit Jaj, a student from Dewas who died in the incident. He alleged that the tragedy reflected deficiencies in government infrastructure and safety arrangements.
Gandhi said students today were under pressure, did not feel happy and were uncertain about their future. He said students wanted to know whether examinations were being conducted transparently and whether selections were being made fairly.
He also urged the government to ensure a complete education pathway for students, from school and mid-day meals to higher education and employment.
The programme was marked by a high-energy, youth-centric atmosphere, with students raising slogans and flashing mobile phone lights as Gandhi interacted with the crowd.
Gandhi said 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' had previously been held in Kota, Prayagraj, Dehradun and Pune, making the Indore programme its fifth edition.
A large number of students attended the programme at the ground near Regional Park, where Gandhi interacted with participants and invited several of them to the stage to raise their concerns.