Rahul Gandhi Steps Forward for Dialogue with Students, Congress Hits Back at BJP: Alok Dubey

RANCHI: Jharkhand Congress General Secretary Alok Kumar Dubey on Tuesday accused the BJP of politicising the ongoing student movement in the state and said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had shown the courage to directly engage with protesting students.

Dubey said Rahul Gandhi had interacted with Jharkhand’s protesting students on two occasions and had publicly condemned police action against them. He questioned why Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had not come forward to engage directly with the students.

“Whenever there is a crisis, Rahul Gandhi is expected to step in. Then what are the Prime Minister and Home Minister for?” Dubey asked.

He said the responsibility of addressing students’ grievances should not rest solely with the Opposition. According to him, those in power have an equally important constitutional and moral responsibility to listen to protesting citizens.

Targeting BJP leaders Babulal Marandi and Aditya Sahu, Dubey said that if they were genuinely concerned about the students, they should ask senior ministers of the Central government to visit Jharkhand and engage directly with the protesters.

“Political posturing and taking photographs by entering someone else’s movement will not solve the students’ problems,” he said.

Dubey also criticised the BJP over the alleged use of videos of the protest for political purposes. He claimed that BJP organisational in-charge Karmveer Singh had shown live visuals of the August 10 student protest to the Prime Minister and Home Minister.

“The BJP is interested not in the students’ movement, but in its political videos,” he alleged.

Taking a sarcastic swipe at the BJP, Dubey said that despite being in power, the party appeared to hold Rahul Gandhi responsible for almost every national issue—from Parliament and paper leaks to student protests and matters concerning China and Pakistan.

He said the government should stop shifting responsibility and instead directly address the grievances of Jharkhand’s youth.

“The Prime Minister and Home Minister must come forward and meet the students. Dialogue, not political blame, is the way forward,” Dubey said.