Shimla: Political activity intensified in Shimla on Tuesday as senior leaders and workers of the Himachal Pradesh Congress organized a massive demonstration outside Raj Bhawan. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu himself joined top party leaders and workers on the sit-in. Gathering in large numbers, party functionaries raised strong slogans against the central government’s policies and the recent police action in Delhi.
Party members stated that using force against youth and students who are raising their voices peacefully and democratically goes entirely against democratic values. During the demonstration, the Chief Minister and other senior Congress leaders sharply criticized the central government, characterizing the entire police crackdown as a direct attempt to suppress the voice of students and the general public.
Party leaders asserted that peaceful protest is a constitutional right of every citizen in a democratic setup, which the government must respect. The administration had put strict security arrangements in place outside Raj Bhawan to maintain order.
Amid a heavy police deployment, the Congress demonstration proceeded peacefully. Party leadership made it clear that they would continue their fight and protest to safeguard the democratic rights of the citizens.
Meanwhile, Congress national spokesperson and Theog MLA Kuldeep Singh Rathore launched a sharp attack on the central government over the detention of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in Delhi. In an official statement released to the press, Rathore accused the ruling dispensation at the Center of continuously suppressing democratic rights and using police force to stifle the legitimate voice of the country’s youth.
Raising serious questions about the national examination system, Rathore noted that recurring paper leak instances across the country have put the future of crores of students in deep crisis. He said students are protesting peacefully to demand a transparent and fair examination system along with justice, but instead of resolving their issues, the government is resorting to brutal lathi-charges. He described this behavior as pure authoritarianism rather than a democratic process.
Rathore added that Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had joined the peaceful protest purely to support students demanding justice, yet they were taken into custody. He stated that this step fully exposes the anti-democratic mindset of the central government, alleging that the administration is evading basic questions from the public and the opposition while relying on police force to hide its failures.
Expressing deep concern over the state of the education system, Rathore said the current BJP government has failed to manage the country’s educational framework properly. Continuous paper leaks have shattered the trust of young people. Despite this, rather than acting against the primary culprits, the government is targeting peacefully protesting students and leaders.
The Congress MLA demanded that the central government seriously consider all demands put forward by the students. He urged an impartial inquiry into all paper leak incidents and strict legal action against those disrupting the system, in order to restore faith among the youth.
