Sharad Pawar attacks Centre over Wangchuk arrest, vows Parliament showdown

Baramati (Maharashtra): Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday condemned the police action against activist Sonam Wangchuk, who is on an indefinite hunger strike over the NEET-UG issue, saying the agitation would continue unabated.

Speaking to reporters, Pawar said, “We had anticipated that they would arrest him within five or six days, and that is exactly what has happened. The protesters’ main demand was the resignation of the Union Education Minister because he was responsible for the education system but failed to handle it with the care it deserved, affecting the future of thousands of students. Despite the growing protests, the central government has remained a mute spectator. That is why other political parties have stepped in to support the movement.”

Pawar highlighted the Opposition’s united stand on the issue, saying Congress leaders, NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule and representatives of other parties had visited the protest site at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar to express support for the protesters’ demands.

“When the government realised this issue was spinning out of their control, they resorted to arrest. Let’s see what happens next. Even if Sonam Wangchuk has been detained, the movement will not stop. The demand is completely justified and is being raised for the sake of the students,” Pawar said.

He criticised the government, saying, “You have been in Delhi for 20 days, yet you could not find the time to meet him. This agitation will continue, and the upcoming Parliament session will begin with this issue.”

Pawar announced the Opposition will raise the issue during the ensuing monsoon session of Parliament starting July 20.

Former Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole also launched a scathing attack on the Narendra Modi government, linking the police action to an upcoming protest march.

“The protestors were scheduled to march to Parliament on the 20th. That is why the government has taken them into custody,” Patole claimed.

The central government is destroying the lives of the younger generation. The recently released NEET results show massive discrepancies in the mark sheets — this is a new scam altogether. This government cannot even conduct simple examinations transparently, the Congress leader alleged.

Patole stated that the youth of the country are rising in anger, a sentiment also reflected in Rahul Gandhi’s recent rallies for the youth.

“The anger brewing in the minds of young citizens was finding a voice through Wangchuk’s agitation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will surrender to foreign powers like the United States, but when it comes to his own countrymen, he resorts to oppression,” he alleged.

NCP (SP) legislator Rohit Pawar claimed that after it became clear that Wangchuk would not give up his hunger strike, the “panicked” central government forcibly shifted him from the protest site and admitted him to a hospital.

“What exact message does the central government intend to send through this? That they will crush the movement, but won’t accept the agitators’ demands — is that the message, right? Instead of resorting to such coercion, why doesn’t the government demand the resignation of the inactive Education Minister? This arrogance of the government is extremely dangerous from the perspective of democracy!” he said.

IANS