~Abhishek Vij
Following the unfortunate lathi charge and stonepelting that took place on July 20th to control the youth during their Parliament March, which was being held amid the ongoing sit-in protest by the Cockroach Janata Party at Jantar Mantar, Delhi.
The next day, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, along with 120 MPs from the Congress and other opposition parties, staged a sit-in protest outside the Prime Minister’s residence. They were released in the evening after a symbolic arrest. There were already fears that the important issue of the paper leak might be politicized, and unfortunately, that appears to have happened. Aam Aadmi Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal termed the sit-in protest by Rahul Gandhi and Congress MPs as collusion and a charade.
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh’s statement on Wednesday also reflected the unfortunate politicization of the issue. The politicization escalated to the point where clashes erupted during BJP and Congress protests in Patna, Jaipur, and Jammu. In Patna, stone-pelting broke out between BJP and Congress workers during opposing protests over the paper leak, which differed on the demand for Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation.
In Jaipur, BJP workers surrounded the Congress office. In Jammu, a situation of confrontation arose between BJP and Congress workers even amid rain. The casual approach to politics in such a serious matter is certainly concerning. Meanwhile, consider the situation in Parliament: on Wednesday, Congress and other opposition MPs, led by Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, arrived dressed in black.
The confrontation in Parliament forced the adjournment of Parliament. It’s a tragedy for Indian democracy that despite such serious discussions, Parliament has been unable to function for three days. The government is ready to discuss the paper leak issue, but Mallikarjun Kharge, the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, insisted that the discussion should be held under Article 263.
This Act provides for a discussion by suspending Parliament in exceptional circumstances. The government maintains that it will certainly hold a discussion, but not under this Act, because no extraordinary circumstances have arisen that would warrant a discussion on the matter on a priority basis. The Cockroach Janata Party’s protest at Jantar Mantar continues. They say, “We won’t go to any minister for talks anymore. If you want to talk, come to Jantar Mantar.
If you have security concerns, talk to us at the Constitution Club.” So, this is the situation that is emerging after the protest over the paper leak, which is hurting the young generation. No sensible analyst can appreciate this situation. It should have been that all the forces in power and the opposition would have sat together comfortably and found a lasting solution to this problem that repeatedly harms the fate of the young generation, but unfortunately, instead, the politics of taking credit has begun.
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said in Parliament that the issue is no longer about the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, but about the brutality inflicted on the youth. We believe that instead of improving and improving the face of education by closing the gaps in the education system, the politicization of this issue is itself a cause for concern.