Priyanka Gandhi made the remarks after arriving at Parliament amid a protest by NDA MPs, who accused the Opposition of running away from discussions in the House.
“Rahul Gandhi has met the students from Jharkhand,” Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said.
Read more: Rahul Gandhi questions Amit Shah’s competence, targets PM Modi over Parliament absence
She also took a dig at the ruling party MPs for staging a counter-protest in the Parliament complex and demanded that Union Home Minister Amit Shah come to the House and give a statement.
“For the first time I have seen that the MPs of the ruling party are holding a protest. At least we have forced them to do this. Now he (Amit Shah) should come and give a statement,” Priyanka Gandhi said.
The remarks came a day after student protesters in Jharkhand staged a demonstration outside the state Assembly in Ranchi over their demands and alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.The agitation intensified after students and job aspirants marched towards the Assembly, with the situation turning tense following clashes between protesters and police. Police used force to disperse the protesters after barricades were breached.
The Jharkhand student agitation has also become a political issue, with the Opposition questioning the police action and demanding that the government address the grievances of the protesting aspirants.
Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat had earlier backed the students, claiming that they were protesting peacefully and alleging that the police action was unacceptable. He also said that Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren was sensitive to the issue and referred to the arrest of a former JSSC chairman by the state CID.
The investigation into alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations has also seen several arrests, with Bhagat claiming that 20 people had been arrested so far and that the Enforcement Directorate had also stepped into the matter.
Read more: Use of force against students protesting in Jharkhand wrong: Rahul Gandhi
Priyanka Gandhi’s remarks also came amid a broader political confrontation between the Opposition and the ruling NDA in Parliament. The two sides have been holding counter-protests over issues concerning students and examination irregularities.
The Congress has been demanding accountability over the treatment of protesting students and has criticised the use of force against demonstrators. Rahul Gandhi has also spoken to students from Jharkhand, according to Priyanka Gandhi.
The Congress leader’s latest remarks indicate that the Jharkhand student agitation is likely to remain a political issue in Parliament, with the Opposition seeking a response from the government and demanding that the concerns raised by the protesters be addressed.
Meanwhile, NDA MPs continued their protest against the Opposition, alleging that opposition parties were avoiding discussions in Parliament. The counter-protests added to the political tension surrounding the ongoing session.
Priyanka Gandhi’s demand that Amit Shah make a statement came as the Opposition sought to put the Jharkhand student protests and the alleged police action at the centre of the parliamentary debate.
