PM should apologise to students, Education Minister must resign: Rahul Gandhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi should apologise, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan must resign, and every person who assaulted the protesting students must be held accountable, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said on Wednesday (July 22, 2026), a day after his dramatic protest outside the Prime Minister’s residence.

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“They [the students] are our future. They are not terrorists,” Mr. Gandhi said at a press conference at the All India Congress Committee headquarters here.

Claiming that there have been 152 exam paper leaks over the past decade, he alleged that about 7.5 crore students had been affected while “there have been zero convictions”. “Somebody or a group of people are destroying our education system, India’s biggest asset,” the Opposition leader said.

Throwing the Congress’s full weight behind the student agitation over recurring exam paper leaks and police excesses, Mr. Gandhi said the Opposition was “100% in agreement” with the protesters’ demands, including the demand for Mr. Pradhan’s resignation, describing them as “legitimate” and “non-negotiable”.

At the start of the press conference, the Congress leader played videos showing police action against students during Monday’s ‘Sansad Chalo’ protest. Referring to the visuals, Mr. Gandhi asked why students demanding a fair education system had been subjected to force.

“What have they done to have security forces aiming weapons at them, to be beaten up, to be thrashed? They are protesting peacefully, asking for what this country owes them,” he said, adding that those responsible for the assaults should be held accountable.

Mr. Gandhi reiterated the Congress’s charge that the country’s education system had been systematically undermined under the Narendra Modi government. “Our education system, which was known to be one of the best in the world, is now a rigged system,” he said.

The Congress leader also accused the government of imposing a heavy financial burden on families through the costly coaching ecosystem. Citing party estimates, he claimed that Indian families spend about ₹1.32 lakh crore annually on exams and coaching, nearly matching the Union government’s education budget of ₹1.4 lakh crore, only to be told later that exam papers had been leaked.

Mr. Gandhi also linked the education crisis to the lack of employment opportunities, arguing that students faced shrinking prospects even after completing their education.

“The doors of manufacturing are closed, entrepreneurship is closed, corporate jobs are closing, and the public sector has been weakened. The only avenue left is government jobs, and even that system has been rigged,” he alleged.

Calling Mr. Pradhan “incapable” of handling the education portfolio, Mr. Gandhi said the Education Minister had “failed” and should be relieved of his responsibilities.

Asked about his detention and alleged manhandling by the police, Mr. Gandhi brushed the issue aside. “I don’t mind being punched. The focus should remain on the students. If India’s students are on the streets, the Opposition should also be on the streets,” he said.

“Yes, I was dragged but the policemen whispered into my ears that ‘please remove this government’,” Mr. Gandhi said.