Priyanka Gandhi Targets Centre in Lok Sabha Over Paper Leak, Questions Use of Force Against Students

Senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi strongly criticised the Central government in the Lok Sabha over the paper leak issue and the handling of student protests. She questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the use of tear gas, lathi-charge, pellet guns, and other measures against protesting students. During her speech, Priyanka Gandhi asked why such force was used against students who were protesting over examination paper leaks. She also sought an explanation from Home Minister Amit Shah on who had authorised the use of pellet guns against the demonstrators. She said the students had taken to the streets to express their concerns about their future and were demanding the resignation of the Education Minister, along with strict action against those responsible for putting their future at risk. Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Priyanka Gandhi remarked that if he wanted to win the trust of Generation Z, making videos from different camera angles would not make any difference. She said the Prime Minister needed to “change the angle of his heart, not the angle of the camera.” Criticising the country's education and examination system, she claimed that 152 paper leak incidents had taken place over the past 10 years, yet not a single paper leak mafia had been punished. Priyanka Gandhi further said that despite the Anti-Paper Leak Bill being passed in 2024, no accused had been convicted so far. She also questioned the performance of fast-track courts, stating that their record had been poor and that, in this case, even the CBI's lawyer did not appear during the first hearing. Concluding her remarks, she said today's generation is fully aware of who is speaking the truth and who is attempting to mislead them.