Congress accused of double standards over student protests in Telangana

The article alleges that the Congress has adopted different approaches to student and youth protests in Delhi and Telangana. It highlights police action against unemployed youth in Telangana and cites Rahul Gandhi's past assurances on jobs and peaceful protests.

Hyderabad: What it condemns vociferously in Delhi is exactly what the Congress does in Hyderabad.

The Congress party has been loudly condemning and even stalling Parliament proceedings over police action against students protesting the NEET fiasco during the Chalo Sansad march. However, the same party and its top brass, including Rahul Gandhi, have turned a blind eye to the plight of the unemployed in Telangana and resorted to police lathi-charges whenever they protest.

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Rahul Gandhi had, in fact, posted on X: “Peaceful protest is a sacred and fundamental right. Every police officer and govt official blindly following orders to attack India’s innocent students should keep in mind: The Constitution is your master. Power is not permanent. Accountability will follow.”

However, the Congress party’s response to issues concerning the unemployed and students in Telangana has been entirely different. Since the Congress came to power in the State, unemployed youth who staged a series of protests at Dilsukhnagar, Chikkadpally Central Library and Ashok Nagar, demanding that the government fulfil its election promises, including issuing recruitment notifications for two lakh vacancies, have been met with police action.

The unemployed have been hitting the streets of Dilsukhnagar demanding an increase in police job vacancies, a job calendar and recruitment notifications. However, whenever they take to the streets, they are met with lathi-charges and multiple police cases.

In fact, during the last Assembly election campaign at Ashok Nagar, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi had sought the support of unemployed youth and posted on X, “Our job calendar is the first step in easing their pain. We will ensure two lakh govt jobs in one year. Revamp of TSPSC on UPSC lines and Yuva Vikasam, Rs 5 lakh assistance. The future of our youth is secure in the hands of Congress Prajala Sarkar, this is my guarantee.”

The Congress has ignored its assurances in the State and whenever the youth seek to remind it of its promises, in what critics describe as a display of double standards, the party seeks to silence them with force.

Indra Nayak, Chairman of the Unemployed Youth JAC, said that whenever they protested for their rightful demands, the Congress government responded with lathi-charges and police cases. “Police registered at least eight cases against me. Congress and Rahul Gandhi have mastered the art of using unemployed youth for their political gains and betraying them after the elections. We want the Congress to stop this drama and honour its promises, including issuing notifications for two lakh vacancies,” said Indra Nayak.