The senior Congress leader said reports and visuals of Gandhi and other protesters being pushed and manhandled were “deeply disturbing”.
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“First, the Modi government answered young Indians with lathis and tear gas. Now, it is using the police against elected representatives who are demanding accountability. This is not the conduct of a confident government. It is the reaction of a government increasingly afraid of students, questions and peaceful democratic protest,” Siddaramaiah said in a statement.
He said Gandhi had consistently stood with students on issues such as examination irregularities, unemployment and injustice. Detaining and manhandling Opposition leaders would neither erase the suffering of students nor absolve the Union government of responsibility, he added.
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“The Prime Minister must stop using police force to silence dissent and start answering the country. India’s youth deserve justice, accountability and respect — not repression,” Siddaramaiah said.
“We will stand firmly with the students and every democratic voice demanding justice. You may detain the Opposition, but you cannot detain the truth or the anger of India’s youth,” he added.
