‘Our children, our future’: Priyanka Gandhi seeks debate on Education Policy

A political storm erupted outside Parliament on Monday as Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra launched a sharp attack on the government, accusing it of avoiding debate over alleged shortcomings in the Education Policy and mishandling student protests.

Speaking to reporters outside the Parliament complex, the Wayanad MP condemned the reported use of force and tear gas against students protesting near Parliament over concerns linked to national-level examinations and education reforms.

“Why are you beating them and using tear gas? They are our children,” Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said, calling students the “future of the country” and asserting that Parliament belongs to the people, not to any individual or group.

She accused the government of refusing to engage in meaningful discussion despite repeated demands from the Opposition. “There are serious problems and issues in the Education Policy, but you are not willing to hold any discussion,” she said, adding that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had been raising similar concerns for a long time.

The remarks came amid rising tensions on Parliament Street, where supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) staged a “Sansad Chalo” protest demanding accountability over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, including the NEET-UG paper leak controversy.

As protesters moved towards Parliament House, police personnel intervened to maintain order. CJP representatives Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka later met Union health minister J.P. Nadda and submitted their demands, saying the minister assured them that the issues would be discussed internally with the leadership.

The protestors called for the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, citing concerns over the integrity of examinations, including NEET-UG and other board-level assessments.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police dismissed reports that CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke had been detained during the demonstration, calling the claims circulating on social media “false” and stating that he was present at the protest stage.

With IANS inputs