Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday accused the Centre of pursuing a "vendetta" against students by filing FIRs and detaining them after they withdrew their protests, and demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi seek the resignation of Home Minister Amit Shah.
In a post on X, Kharge alleged that the BJP governments had gone back on their assurance that no action would be taken against the protesters after they ended their agitation over the NEET paper leak issue.
“Narendra Modi ji, 10 days ago, your government cracked down on the youth using lathis, batons and pellet guns,” Kharge said, referring to the July 20 'Sansad Chalo' march led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and protests by students across the country.
“Now that the students have withdrawn their protest, you are acting out of a sense of vendetta by filing FIRs against them and subjecting them to forced detentions,” Kharge alleged.
“The youth withdrew their agitation on the condition that no action would be taken against them; now, your governments have reneged on their own word,” he said.
Kharge also claimed that social media accounts of young protesters were being blocked and that young women were being “doxxed”.
Accusing the government of evading accountability, he said Home Minister Amit Shah had not addressed Parliament on the issue.
"Such is the “arrogance” that Home Minister Amit Shah did not even step into the House of Parliament and shied away from making a statement on accountability," Kharge said.
"These tactics for saving face and protecting your image will no longer work; the youth have seen through the truth about you,” he added. “If there is even a shred of shame left, get Amit Shah to resign,” the Congress chief said.
(With inputs from PTI)