Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi following a police baton-charge on students during the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest on Monday, describing the crackdown as "un-Indian". Speaking to reporters, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha expressed sharp anger over the incident and questioned the Prime Minister's continued silence. He maintained that the physical assault on peaceful demonstrators was entirely un-Indian and criticised Modi for failing to offer an apology to the affected youth.
Following a meeting with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla alongside several Opposition MPs to demand a formal parliamentary debate on the police action, Gandhi claimed the Speaker declined to permit the discussion immediately, stating he first needed clearance from the central government. The Congress leader expressed disbelief over the response, telling reporters it was deeply concerning that the Speaker openly acknowledged needing executive permission to allow a debate inside Parliament.
Turning to the wider crisis surrounding the national examination system, Gandhi asserted that student grievances extend far beyond basic educational concerns. He claimed the examination framework has effectively ceased to exist, having been hollowed out by termites, and argued that the students' demands for accountability are entirely legitimate. Bashing the Centre for resorting to force rather than addressing systemic flaws, the former Congress chief stated that Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan should step down, whilst also demanding the resignations of Home Minister Amit Shah — whose ministry oversees the police — and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Echoing Gandhi's condemnation, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged that the government deployed a "private army" to beat students, comparing the NDA administration's tactics to historical authoritarian regimes. Yadav claimed that the authorities used force against their own citizens in a manner reminiscent of Hitler's rule, further alleging that the Centre remains reluctant to dismiss responsible ministers out of fear that they might expose internal secrets.
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