“Students are in severe pain, they don’t need PM’s forgiveness,” Rahul Gandhi said. NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi Tuesday stepped up his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his “will forgive them” remark for students accused of abusing him and his late mother during the anti-paper leak protest at Jantar Mantar.”Students are in severe pain, they don’t need PM’s forgiveness; Modi needs to apologise instead,” Rahul Gandhi was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.Directing his attack at BJP’s ideological mentor, the Congress leader said: “Behind the thinking of the Prime Minister, his colleagues, and the RSS lies a very dangerous and caustic idea”. Watch ‘Put Pellets Into Blood Of Our Students,’ Rahul Gandhi’s Attack On Hm Shah In LS Sparks Uproar”These people believe that the histories, identities, and languages of India’s diverse states are irrelevant, and that only the language and history defined by the RSS are important. This is why students are out on the streets. India will never accept its cultures, languages, or histories being trampled by anyone. They are defending the idea of India in their own way. RSS can’t change our history; India will not tolerate its history to be trampled upon by anybody,” Rahul Gandhi said.In an Instagram video posted on Friday night PM said that he will forgive young protesters accused of abusing him and his late mother, saying they are misguided children and it is “our job to show them the right way”.“Nothing is more painful than seeing a parent grieve their child. Behind every young life lost is a family carrying pain that will never leave them – and serious questions about a broken education system,” Gandhi said in a post on X where he also shared images of his interaction with parents and students.Last week on Wednesday, during the Lok Sabha proceedings, Rahul Gandhi attacked the government over the police action during the July 20 student protests, drawing sharp rebuttals from the treasury benches.Participating in the debate on the Bill, Rahul Gandhi took a direct swipe at Union home minister Amit Shah, claiming his absence from the House reflected “fear”.”I am very happy today to see that the so-called home minister of this country does not have the courage to come and sit here… Why is the home minister not here today? The home minister is not here today because he is scared,” Rahul said.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelines”The home minister authorised the shooting on our students. He put pellets into the blood of our students. He ordered the students of India to be shot,” he alleged.Launching another attack on the government, Rahul said India’s education system was “terrible” and “cruel” and accused the Centre of privatising education.”Our education system is terrible, it’s cruel… Everything is being privatised… It is an extortion system, it is a brutal, terrible system,” he said.Alleging that the RSS is controlling the education ministry, Rahul said, “The soul of the system has been captured by the RSS. The resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan is superficial because Dharmendra Pradhan never ran the education ministry. The organisation that runs the education ministry is called the RSS. The man who runs it is an OSD sitting in the minister’s office,” Rahul said.He further claimed students were not being allowed to pursue their passions or question the system and were instead being forced to accept “the nonsensical history that the RSS fantasises about.”Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorRajeev SinghRajeev Singh is a Digital Content Producer with The Times of India. He covers politics, policies, defence, and conflicts for readers curious to know their implications. He loves digging into legal maxims and political trivia. On off days, when not turning pages or learning русский, he lives in the reverie of “what ifs” and “how abouts.”Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos’Thought We Would Die’: Air India Phuket-Delhi Flight Hit By Violent Turbulence, Several InjuredNHAI Forced Into U-Turn After Posting Wrong Pic Of Rajasthan’s NH-25; Project Director SuspendedUdhayanidhi Stalin Released Hours After Arrest Over ‘Double Meaning’ RemarkSC Extends Section 498A Protection To Women In Marriage-Like Live-In RelationshipsWhatsApp Puts Multiple Accounts Under Review, Users Locked Out As Company Admits Mistakes Can HappenUdhayanidhi Stalin Detained Over Trisha Row |FIR, Political Storm & “I’ll Face It Legally” ExplainedPulwama Man Held With Hand Grenade, Anti-National Posters After Kulgam Terror AttackHigh-Level Probe Ordered As Security Forces Launch Massive Valley-Wide Manhunt | WatchSC Clarifies ‘Criminal Antecedents’ Caveat;CJP Demands Immediate Withdrawal Of FIRs Against StudentsAssam Govt Launches Relief Package As Over 1.36 Lakh People Remain Flood Affected | Watch123Photostories10 baby boy names inspired by kings and royaltyTamannaah Bhatia turns heads with 3 dramatically different looksBleeding gums may be warning you about more than your teeth: Doctor explains the link to heart disease, stroke and diabetesOptical illusion brain teaser: You might be a record breaker if you spot the ‘blue-eyed fox’ among the browns in this jungleThe way you react today becomes your child’s inner voice tomorrow: 7 everyday moments that shape your child’s future more than any parenting advice ever could13 iconic ice creams from around the world every dessert lover should tryHow to talk to toddlers to nurture intelligence: Science-backed tips5 hair oils that may be making your dandruff worse5 signs your partner is falling out of love with you: What to watch for before it’s too lateFrom Collarwali to Charger: 5 legendary tigers of India123Hot PicksCJP nationwide tourGold Rate TodayMJPRU resultBSE SensexRBI FD ruleManmohan Singh LiberhanKarnataka cabinet expansionUdhayanidhi StalinD Y PatilTop TrendingFaridabad MurderUdhayanidhi StalinPanchkula Army Captain Wife DeathPappu Yadav Slipper AttackPM ModiKarnataka Cabinet ExpansionTrisha KrishnanD Y Patil DeathBypoll Election Result 2026Shradha Singh
NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi Tuesday stepped up his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his “will forgive them” remark for students accused of abusing him and his late mother during the anti-paper leak protest at Jantar Mantar.“Students are in severe pain, they don’t need PM’s forgiveness; Modi needs to apologise instead,” Rahul Gandhi was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.Directing his attack at BJP’s ideological mentor, the Congress leader said: “Behind the thinking of the Prime Minister, his colleagues, and the RSS lies a very dangerous and caustic idea”. “These people believe that the histories, identities, and languages of India’s diverse states are irrelevant, and that only the language and history defined by the RSS are important. This is why students are out on the streets. India will never accept its cultures, languages, or histories being trampled by anyone. They are defending the idea of India in their own way. RSS can’t change our history; India will not tolerate its history to be trampled upon by anybody,” Rahul Gandhi said.In an Instagram video posted on Friday night PM said that he will forgive young protesters accused of abusing him and his late mother, saying they are misguided children and it is “our job to show them the right way”.“Nothing is more painful than seeing a parent grieve their child. Behind every young life lost is a family carrying pain that will never leave them – and serious questions about a broken education system,” Gandhi said in a post on X where he also shared images of his interaction with parents and students.Last week on Wednesday, during the Lok Sabha proceedings, Rahul Gandhi attacked the government over the police action during the July 20 student protests, drawing sharp rebuttals from the treasury benches.Participating in the debate on the Bill, Rahul Gandhi took a direct swipe at Union home minister Amit Shah, claiming his absence from the House reflected “fear”.“I am very happy today to see that the so-called home minister of this country does not have the courage to come and sit here… Why is the home minister not here today? The home minister is not here today because he is scared,” Rahul said.
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“The home minister authorised the shooting on our students. He put pellets into the blood of our students. He ordered the students of India to be shot,” he alleged.Launching another attack on the government, Rahul said India’s education system was “terrible” and “cruel” and accused the Centre of privatising education.“Our education system is terrible, it’s cruel… Everything is being privatised… It is an extortion system, it is a brutal, terrible system,” he said.Alleging that the RSS is controlling the education ministry, Rahul said, “The soul of the system has been captured by the RSS. The resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan is superficial because Dharmendra Pradhan never ran the education ministry. The organisation that runs the education ministry is called the RSS. The man who runs it is an OSD sitting in the minister’s office,” Rahul said.He further claimed students were not being allowed to pursue their passions or question the system and were instead being forced to accept “the nonsensical history that the RSS fantasises about.”
