Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday alleged that the Modi government was “destroying” students’ future and said Congress must now prepare a comprehensive ‘Education-to-Employment Roadmap’ for the youth.
In his opening remarks at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting at the Indira Bhawan here, Kharge also questioned the "silence" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the alleged theft of Ram temple donations and demanded that the PM apologise for it and answer to the people.
"Over the last 12 years, the Modi government has devastated the future of the youth. Instead of new schools opening, 94,000 schools have closed in recent years. Driven by the race for privatisation, higher education is becoming increasingly expensive and out of reach for ordinary families," Kharge said.
He alleged that educational institutions are increasingly being taken over by RSS people.
"Even after completing their education, when young people set out in search of jobs, they are confronted with paper leaks, recruitment exam scams, and delays in appointments. Children from poor and marginalised backgrounds suffer the most in this situation," he said.
"The anger that has arisen among the youth across the country is not a sudden or one-day phenomenon. This government has never had the time to listen to them; instead, it has consistently sought temporary measures to sidestep the issues. Consequently, they have been forced to take to the streets," Kharge said.
He said the Congress has incorporated the concerns of the youth into its agenda.
Rahul Gandhi has brought their voices to the national stage through the "Chhatron ki Goonj" programme, he said.
"In Parliament, too, we strove for a comprehensive deliberation on issues concerning education and examinations—seeking a discussion on the injustices faced by students and demanding accountability. However, (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi ji and (Home Minister) Amit Shah ji evaded questions throughout the Monsoon Session. Now that they have started speaking, they are prioritising non-issues over the questions raised by the youth," Kharge said.
"With the objective of preparing for the future, the time has come for the Congress to prepare a clear, comprehensive, and time-bound 'Education-to-Employment Roadmap' for the youth," Kharge said.
"Another crucial issue linked to the public's trust concerns the Ram Mandir. The issue of the massive scam surrounding the Ram Mandir is resonating among the masses," Kharge said.
The prime minister had announced the formation of the trust for the Ram temple's construction in Parliament, he pointed out.
"Presumably, he appointed his own people to the trust after careful consideration. Ordinary people generously donated funds, gold, and silver, believing that since the prime minister had constituted the trust, it would operate with integrity. Yet, a massive scam has come to light. People are asking questions, but Modi ji remains consistently silent," Kharge said.
"The nation wants to know: how much in the way of offerings—gold, silver, and other valuables—was received there? What is the accounting for it? This matter will not be resolved merely by sending a few low-level individuals to jail," he said.
The more the BJP attempts to divert attention from this issue, the deeper the public's suspicion will grow, Kharge said.
"Therefore, Modi ji should apologise to the faithful public regarding this matter and provide answers," he asserted.
Any financial wrongdoing must be properly investigated, and those responsible must be held accountable, the Congress chief said.
"I also want to raise concerns about reports of Chinese encroachment along our borders. National security should never be used for political purposes, but it also cannot be used as a reason to prevent citizens from asking legitimate questions," Kharge said.
"We have the highest respect for our armed forces, but questions about the government’s position and the situation on our borders must be answered by them. The people deserve transparency about what is happening along our borders," he said.
Noting that the youth are the primary focus of collective concern, Kharge said that despite 80 years of independence, conditions in several crucial sectors are deteriorating rather than improving.
Amidst the race for communal frenzy and the culture of 'freebies' (revdi culture), the education and employment of the youth have been most severely neglected, he said.
"On this occasion, I would particularly like to remember Rajiv Gandhi ji; his birth anniversary falls tomorrow. Even while leading a government with a massive majority, he placed the youth at the very centre of his policies," he said.
It is the result of the Congress party's extensive efforts since independence that the country gained access to affordable and accessible education, thereby opening the path to socio-economic development for the poor and marginalised sections of society, he said.
The Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting was held at Indira Bhawan, with Kharge chairing it and top leaders, including former party chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, AICC general secretaries Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Jairam Ramesh and K C Venugopal, senior leaders Ambika Sonia, Mukul Wasnik and P Chidambaram, among others, in attendance.
The meeting was also attended by Congress chief ministers A Revanth Reddy (Telangana), V D Satheesan (Kerala), Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu (Himachal Pradesh), and D K Shivakumar (Karnataka).
(With inputs from PTI)
