Rahul Gandhi accuses Dharmendra Pradhan of ‘pellet’ protesters injured during CJP protest march: ‘Enough is enough’ | Today’s news
Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday introduced a student protester named Sahil, who was reportedly injured after being hit by a “pellet shell” fired by security personnel during a protest march called by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on July 20.
Gandhi blamed Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan for the situation, saying his policies led to large-scale student protests and Sahil’s alleged injury.
He also demanded action against those accused of firing and using batons on protesting students and called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to apologize to the students.
“Stop attacking and threatening students”
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The protests were sparked by allegations of a paper leak in the SSC Delhi Constable exam, leading students to demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Rahul Gandhi has blamed Dharmendra Pradhan’s policies for sparking large-scale student protests, which he said led to the injury of a student, Sahil, during the protest.
The Delhi Police has denied the use of firearms against the protesters, saying such claims are false, while the CRPF is currently verifying reports regarding their deployment during the incident.
The protesters demanded the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan, accountability for the alleged use of violence against them and action against those responsible for the paper leak scandal.
While students are encouraged to exercise their democratic rights, advice from universities suggests that participating in unauthorized protests can lead to legal consequences and affect academic progress.
Speaking to the media outside Congress Parliamentary Party chief Sonia Gandhi’s residence at 10, Janpath, Gandhi was speaking alongside Sahil, who he claimed was hit by a firearm during a peaceful demonstration while carrying the national flag.
“You say the protesters were hit with firearms. I want to explain when the firearms were fired. My brother was hit with a firearm while he was peacefully protesting with the tricolor in his hand,” Gandhi said, according to PTI.
He remarked, “Pradhan is the reason why this brother was shot, he is the reason why thousands of people are protesting outside in the streets.”
Read also | When Dharmendra Pradhan denied paper leak but later took “moral responsibility”
Gandhi showed Sahil’s injuries to the media by lifting his T-shirt and claimed that the protester’s eye was damaged and that he had lost sight in that eye.
“This is the future of our country. This happened to thousands of young people, they were shot with machine guns and beaten with lathis. What are they doing? They are doing peaceful protests,” he added.
Gandhi said that Sahil had appeared for the police recruitment test, but the test was allegedly compromised after the question paper was leaked.
He said Sahil’s parents supported his preparation with their hard-earned money and accused the government of failing students. Gandhi mentioned that the government must stop misguiding people and argued that the future of young Indians was under attack.
Read also | CJP calls for public apology to protesting students; Pradhan’s resignation
“They are saying three things – the education minister for whom the students are protesting and the paper was leaked must be removed; action must be taken against those who shot at our future and beat them with lathis. Narendra Modi, who is the operator of the system, should apologize to thousands of students,” Gandhi said.
He added that there was uncertainty as to whether it would be possible to restore Sahil’s sight.
“Stop attacking and threatening our students,” the former Congress chief said, criticizing the government’s handling of the protests.
In a later post on social media, Gandhi claimed that Sahil was peacefully participating in the July 20 protest when he was allegedly hit in the face with a firearm.
Read also | NEET Row: Govt-CJP fresh talks tomorrow, main demand for Pradhan’s resignation
“19-year-old Sahil is a student of Delhi University. He drives a car part-time to support his family. Like thousands of others, he too is a victim of paper leaks – SSC Delhi Constable Exam 2025. Now he is worried that SSC has chosen the same vendor again and the paper may be leaked again,” Gandhi wrote.
He said Sahil had joined the protest for justice and a better future, but now faced the possibility of permanent vision loss in one eye.
“He joined the protests to demand justice and a better future. Now he is at risk of losing sight in one eye permanently. This is what our students are facing when they ask questions and demand accountability. We stand with Sahil. We stand with every student who demands accountability. Enough is enough. Education Minister Pradhan must resign,” Gandhi said.
Gandhi also called Pradhan a “criminal education minister” and argued that he represented a failure of India’s education system and should be removed from office.
What did Sahil say?
Sahil, who was reportedly injured by a bullet in his right eye, said he was seeking justice. He has had one operation to treat the injury and remove the balls and is awaiting another operation.
After the incident, he was taken first to Lady Hardinge Medical College and later to Safdarjung Hospital before being shifted to AIIMS Trauma Center on July 21.
The reported use of firearms during the protest also caused controversy. While the Delhi Police has denied using firearms against protesters during the march, the CRPF, whose Rapid Action Force personnel were deployed during the demonstration, did not respond to queries about the alleged use of firearms.
