Rahul Gandhi, in an outreach to the Gen Z, launched an ‘Ask Me Anything’ session on Instagram and addressed various queries posed by the students on Thursday. The Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha also spoke about the students’ protest in Jharkhand, where Congress is an alliance partner, saying every government should listen to what students are saying.
Taking to Instagram, Rahul Gandhi posted, “Students, Gen-Z — I’m here to listen. Ask me anything on Instagram, and I’ll answer as many questions as I can.”
When asked about the ongoing protest by the students against the alleged irregularities in the JPSC-JSSC recruitment, Rahul Gandhi questioned the present education system in the country, saying it has collapsed.
However, he added that every government, be it at the Centre or Congress, should listen to what students are saying.
“The student protests that are happening in the country are against the education system. I have stated it clearly, in Kota, Dehradun, and will say it in Allahabad, that our education system has collapsed, it is unaffordable, and oppressive,” Rahul Gandhi said.
“Every government, be it the central government, Congress government, or Jharkhand government, should listen to what students are saying and take action to change the education system,” he added.
The protest against the alleged irregularities in recruitment exams in Jharkhand entered its 13th day on Thursday with six demonstrators on a hunger strike. Agitating students and job aspirants have formed an 11-member delegation to hold talks with the state government to resolve the impasse.
The protest, which began on July 25 under the banner of the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium, has emerged as one of the biggest student-led movements in the state in recent years.
In another query, asked about his message to young women fighting for their right to study, Gandhi said, “India’s women are our strength, our biggest asset, and frankly, I do not appreciate the way women are treated in society, the way our education system treats our women, and the way our corporate system treats our women. Women deserve equal space in every sphere of life. In fact, I believe they deserve more than equal space in every sphere of life.”
The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said, “You be confident, you be brave, you be powerful, exactly how you are, and we are there to fully support you.”
With inputs from PTI