Black is colour of the day as Opposition parties protest in Parliament over attack on students

Dressed in black in solidarity with protesting students, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday, 22 July, launched a scathing attack on the government, declaring, “Democracy is finished” as opposition leaders are prevented from speaking in Parliament.

Speaking to reporters in the Parliament House complex, Priyanka criticised the government’s refusal to allow debate on student issues. “In Parliament, debate is not being allowed. The Leader of Opposition is not allowed to speak, and neither are other opposition leaders. Whenever they rise to speak, they are stopped,” she said.

She highlighted the undemocratic nature of the current scenario, saying, “The Speaker says he has to ask the government whether a debate can take place. What is this? Democracy is finished.”

Referring to the Congress protest outside the PM's residence during which Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav and many others were detained, Priyanka said, "What happened to us is irrelevant. We are standing with the students and raising their voice. What happened to the students, was it right or wrong? They are all young students.”

She stressed the legitimacy of the students’ demands: “They are protesting, and this is not just any protest. It is a genuine issue, a genuine problem. Every parent in this country knows it. Every student in this country knows it. Every teacher knows it.”

Lashing out at government priorities, she said, “The entire education budget for the youth of this country is Rs 1.4 lakh crore. But you are writing off loans worth Rs 16 lakh crore for Adaniji and Ambaniji. The farmers get nothing, the poor get nothing, and the students get nothing.”

The opposition protest outside the PM’s residence caused a major stir, with government officials trying to persuade leaders to leave the site. After inconclusive talks, police forcibly removed and detained Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and others. They were released after a few hours.