🔴 By | Arvind Jadhav
Indor: Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi held the latest edition of his ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ student interaction programme in Indore on September 19, bringing education, recruitment, examinations and employment issues into the political spotlight. The programme saw Rahul Gandhi interact with students and hear their concerns about competitive examinations, recruitment, universities, nursing education and employment opportunities. Students also raised concerns about delays and transparency in examinations and recruitment processes.
🟡 Rahul Gandhi Targets the ‘System’
Addressing the gathering, Rahul Gandhi alleged that the existing system does not want students to question institutions. He argued that students should remain curious, ask questions and seek accountability. Gandhi also made a series of political allegations involving Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and industrialists Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani. These were political allegations made by Gandhi during the programme. The Congress leader also offered to join the protest of teaching aspirants in Madhya Pradesh, linking their demands with the broader issues of recruitment and employment faced by young people.
🟡 Students Raise Education and Recruitment Issues
The Indore programme focused substantially on concerns raised by students themselves. Issues relating to MPPSC examinations, nursing education, recruitment delays, hostel safety and the functioning of educational institutions featured during the interaction. Rahul Gandhi also met members of the family of Arpit Jaj, a 21-year-old student from Dewas who died following the Satya Niketan hostel building collapse in Delhi. The incident was raised during the programme as part of a wider discussion on student and hostel safety.
🟡 BJP Responds With ‘Jhooth Ki Goonj’
The event also triggered a political counter-campaign by the BJP in Indore. Posters carrying the phrase ‘Jhooth Ki Goonj’ appeared at several locations before the programme. BJP state co-media in-charge Alok Dubey claimed that the posters reflected the sentiments of students and alleged that young people were being pressured to attend Gandhi’s programme. Congress rejected the allegation and accused the BJP of attempting to create obstacles for the event. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav had also criticised Gandhi ahead of the programme, using the phrase ‘Jhooth Ki Goonj’ while questioning the Congress leader’s political campaign. BJP national president Nitin Nabin separately criticised the initiative, arguing that the programme was being used for political purposes.
🟡 Security and Venue Dispute
The Indore programme also became a subject of controversy over security arrangements. Police issued detailed conditions covering crowd management, entry and exit arrangements, emergency evacuation, medical facilities, CCTV cameras and volunteers. The security document referred to the Justice J.S. Verma Commission in the context of responsibilities of organisers. Police officials said the reference was intended to ensure proper security arrangements for a high-profile event, while Congress leaders questioned the decision to include the reference. The programme had originally been planned for September 12 at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium but was postponed after permission was not granted. Congress subsequently shifted the event to an alternative location near Regional Park and secured approval from the Indore Development Authority.
🟡 BJP’s Earlier Response to Pune Event
The Indore programme also comes against the backdrop of the political controversy surrounding Rahul Gandhi’s previous ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ event in Pune on August 22. Ahead of the Pune programme, Maharashtra BJP spokesperson Navnath Ban questioned the funding arrangements for the event and alleged that students were being offered money to attend. Congress rejected the BJP’s allegations and pointed to the large number of registrations claimed for the programme. After the Pune programme, BJP leaders continued their criticism. BJP described the event as a “political comedy show”, while Congress accused the ruling party of being unsettled by Rahul Gandhi’s outreach to young people. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also criticised Gandhi and Congress over their position on women’s empowerment and the Women’s Reservation Bill.
🟡 Education, Jobs and Politics Take Centre Stage
With the Indore programme, Rahul Gandhi has continued his student-focused outreach, using education, examinations, recruitment and employment as central themes. At the same time, the BJP’s counter-campaign and criticism have turned the student outreach initiative into another point of political confrontation between the two parties. The Indore event brought together two contrasting narratives — Congress highlighting students’ grievances and questioning the functioning of institutions, while the BJP questioned Gandhi’s claims and the political purpose of the programme
