The Congress has slammed the BJP and both the Central and Uttar Pradesh Governments for the lathicharge on girl students of Benaras Hindu University (BHU). Party vice-president Rahul Gandhi termed the BHU incident as “BJP version of Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao in BHU”.
In his tweet, Rahul attached a video link of the students who alleged that they were beaten up by male policemen at the campus. Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress criticised the ‘Mann Ki Baat radio programme on Sunday and said that was a “one-sided” communication from the PM in which he did not speak on important issues such as the police action on BHU students, unemployment and high fuel prices.
Congress spokesman Ajoy Kumar alleged that the Prime Minister did not speak on issues such as police action on students in the BHU campus last night, unemployment, high fuel prices, the “deteriorating situation” in Kashmir and border areas and incidents of sexual abuse of children.
Terming the police action on students in BHU as “one of the most shameful incidents”, Kumar criticised the Centre and the State Governments for their alleged failure in maintaining law and order in the State.
Kumar also raised doubts over the Government’s “intention” in running the ‘Beti Bachao and Beti Padhao’ campaign, alleging that the fund allocated for the girl child in the last budget was very low.
The Congress’s criticism of Manni Ki Baat came hours after Modi, in the 36th episode of his monthly address, said he has used the programme to reflect the views and aspirations of the people rather than expressing his own opinions. “Over the last three years, we have continuously seen that ‘Mann Ki Baat’ is (a) one-sided communication exercise of the Prime Minister...He only does one-sided communication,” Kumar said at AICC briefing.
Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi took to social media to thank External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj for recognising Congress’ “legacy” of IITs in her speech at the UN General Assembly. “Sushmaji, thank you for finally recognising Congress Governments’ great vision and legacy of setting up IITs and IIMs,” Rahul tweeted.
He was referring to Swaraj’s hard-hitting speech at the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday, where she gave the examples of these premier institutes as India’s achievements and said Pakistan, in contrast, had “produced terrorists”.