WAYANAD: Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding that he apologise to students protesting in New Delhi against alleged irregularities in the NEET exam for the "brutalities" they suffered at the hands of the police.
Vadra said that instead of apologising, the PM was "busy making silly videos", thanking people for helping him gain more followers on Instagram.
"It is ridiculous at this time. It is ridiculous. He is responsible for young children being out on the streets all over India. He is responsible for them being shot with pellet guns as if they're terrorists," she told reporters here.
"He (PM Modi) is responsible," she reiterated, adding that he had to answer to the nation.
"He has to appear in Parliament. He has to make the changes that the students are asking for," she said.
The Congress MP alleged that the system had let down students, claiming that 152 paper leaks had occurred during the tenure of the current government.
"The system has broken them (students) and shattered their future. Anybody who wants to take an exam is terrified. If a paper leaks, some rich child can buy it for Rs 30-40 lakh. What will the rest of the students do? They no longer have any faith in the system. And you are offering them a solution from the same system," she said.
She said the central government was telling students not to worry because it would make the law stronger.
"What stronger law? What Bill? The same Bill that they introduced a few years ago. They've only increased the punishment. We will now see what all they've done," she added.
Vadra said the PM's assurance of a stronger law was not enough, as the system had broken down and students had lost faith in it.
"The only thing that can be done is to step outside the system. That means the PM has to show guts, courage, responsibility and leadership," Vadra said.
"Leadership means that if his minister is responsible and 152 papers have leaked under his nose, he sacks that minister. That is leadership," she added.
"There is no leadership coming from Narendra Modi. All that is coming are feeble excuses and force," the Congress MP alleged.
She said the PM could use whatever force he wanted against the students, but they would not back down because "they are young, brave, earnest, believe in our Constitution, and believe this country has given them rights for which they are fighting".
"This country belongs to them. It does not belong to anybody else. It belongs to the youth. This is their future. It does not belong to Narendra Modi ji, she said.
"Parliament does not belong to Narendra Modi ji. It belongs to the people of India, and the people of India are speaking. His job, his duty and his responsibility are to listen," Vadra added.