Rahul Gandhi rightly raised pellet gun issue inside, outside Parliament: D Raja

NEW DELHI: CPI general secretary D Raja has backed Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi's protest at Parliament Street police station over the alleged use of pellet guns against protesting students, saying the issue raises serious questions of accountability and who authorised the police to use the weapons.

Speaking to PTI Videos, Raja said it was only after the protests and subsequent developments that it came to light that pellet guns had been used against young people protesting during the Parliament session.

He noted that questions were raised during the Parliament session, but "nobody was willing to take responsibility for what occurred during that protest."

"Why were the young students treated this way? Why were they beaten?" Raja questioned.

He also criticised the absence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Parliament to provide explanations about the situation.

"Mr Modi did not go to Parliament and give any explanation. Delhi Police is directly under the Union Government, under the Home Ministry. Mr Amit Shah never went to Parliament and gave any explanation," he said.

Raja pressed for answers regarding who authorised the use of pellet guns against the protesters. "Who gave the orders to police to use pellet guns? So, it is a serious issue, a genuine issue," he said.

He supported Gandhi's decision to protest at the police station, highlighting that as Leader of the Opposition and a prominent leader of the country's largest political party, Gandhi has effectively raised the matter both inside and outside Parliament.

"Mr Rahul Gandhi, being the Leader of the Opposition, being one of the leaders of the largest party in the country, has taken up the issue. He went there, he sat in dharna, finally the police were compelled to file an FIR," Raja said.

Raja said there were questions about how pellet guns came to be used during the protest, arguing that their use involved specially trained personnel and the knowledge of authorities.

"Our understanding is, pellet guns will not be handed over to anybody. There will be some specially trained people, and the authorities must know. "Who are the authorities who gave the pellet guns, who gave the orders to attack the protesters? So, it is a serious issue," Raja said.

He commended Gandhi for addressing this issue both within and outside Parliament. "Mr Rahul Gandhi did the right thing to raise this issue, not only inside Parliament, but also outside Parliament. Finally, the government has been compelled to file an FIR. Let us see what happens," he said.

On the broader topic of education and the protests by students and young people, Raja accused the BJP-led government of failing the system.

"That is what we are saying. Who failed the system? It is the BJP-led government which has failed the system," he said.

Raja alleged that the government's approach under the National Education Policy 2020 was aimed at "commercialise education, to centralise education, to communalise education".

"And these things are being opposed by the students, young people of our country. And even the budgetary allocation on education is very low in our country," he said.

Raja also said education is on the Concurrent List and that several governments have demanded it be moved to the State List. "So, who has failed the system? The BJP-led government has completely failed the system, particularly in the educational sphere," he said.

The issue of force allegedly being used against protesting students during the Sansad Chalo march on July 20, including the alleged use of pellet guns, was raised in Parliament, with the session being repeatedly disrupted over the issue amid the opposition's demand for clarification from the Home Minister.

On August 21, Rahul Gandhi staged a dharna at the Parliament Street police station over the issue, demanding registration of an FIR and accountability for the alleged use of pellet guns against the protesters. The police subsequently registered an FIR.