Congress attacks PM over silence on student protests in Mann Ki Baat

The Congress criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not referring to the student protests and alleged police brutality in his Mann Ki Baat address, accusing the government of ignoring concerns over education even after the month-long NEET agitation ended

New Delhi: The Congress slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for maintaining “stony silence” on the student protests and the “police brutality” in his “Mann ki Baat monologue on Sunday. The opposition party claimed that the government has no intent to make interventions in ensuring students get quality education.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said education is a full-time portfolio at any time and Pralhad Joshi, the new incumbent, is already the Minister of New and Renewable Energy as well as Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution.

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But in any case this is a “one-man, two-face Government”, Ramesh said on X. “The true ‘niyat’ of the Modi Government is evident in the outpouring of political support the BJP has extended to the discredited ex-Mantri Pradhan, and the Pradhan Mantri’s own stony silence on the student protests and the police brutality on students in his ‘Mann ki Baat’ monologue today,” the Congress leader said.

The government’s goal is only “political hegemony”, he alleged. Modi on Sunday asserted that India is scaling new heights in defence production, military exports and also in the field of political cooperation with friendly nations.

Addressing his monthly radio broadcast ‘Mann Ki Baat’, he also paid tributes to the 1999 Kargil War martyrs. The prime minister, however, made no mention of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led protests on the NEET paper leak.

The students’ month-long agitation ended on Saturday after the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as Education Minister and acceptance of their other demands by the government. Recording of the Mann Ki Baat is normally done two to three days ahead of the scheduled broadcast.