New Delhi: The Congress on Sunday alleged that the people of the BJP-RSS have hollowed out and corrupted the education system, and asserted that Rahul Gandhi is standing with the students as they demand accountability with their "voice echoing" across the country.
The opposition party's assertion came after Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi 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, 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.
Tagging Gandhi's post on the programme, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "Yesterday, Rahul Gandhi ji revealed the secret of this system that has been suppressing students. Who is this system? The people of BJP-RSS who have seized control over the entire country. On education, on the economy, on politics, on every institution."
"They have hollowed out and corrupted the education system. Because this system fears students. They ask questions, demand accountability," Ramesh said in his post in Hindi on X.
"Now Rahul ji stands with them, the fear among students has ended. Their voice is echoing across the entire country," he added.
Gandhi's visit to Indore on Saturday 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.
Students posed a challenge to this system because they remained curious and questioned what was happening around them, Gandhi had said.
This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.