No debate without Pradhan’s resignation, Opposition tells govt. as it hits the streets

Maintaining pressure on the government both inside and outside Parliament, the Opposition refused the government’s offer of a debate on paper leaks, arguing that any discussion must be preceded by the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Later in the evening, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi led INDIA bloc MPs in a symbolic march to Gandhi Smriti on Tees January Marg, where Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated, expressing solidarity with students protesting against paper leaks.

“Our leader Mahatma Gandhi ji was assassinated here. Today, the Modi government is assassinating democracy in India, brutalising students, and beating them,” Mr. Gandhi told reporters at Gandhi Smriti after paying tribute to Mahatma Gandhi.

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Road blocked

He said the Opposition parties would not accept such treatment of students and demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologise and sack Mr. Pradhan. The Opposition’s symbolic march in the evening was not without its share of drama, as the Delhi Police had blocked access points to Sunehri Bagh Road, where Mr. Gandhi’s official residence is located.

After Mr. Gandhi had taken the unprecedented step of sitting on a dharna outside the Prime Minister’s residence on Tuesday, the government deployed two busloads of CRPF and Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel close to his residence. Additionally, a bus was placed outside the road blocking the bus carrying Opposition MPs.

The Opposition parties also had to change the venue of their evening vigil after they were not allowed to gather at India Gate. Top Opposition leaders, including Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and P. Chidambaram, CPI(M)’s John Brittas, NCP’s Supriya Sule, and RJD’s Manoj Jha, were part of the solidarity march.

More joint campaigns

The evening march was a result of what was decided at the morning meeting of the INDIA bloc, and more such joint campaigns are being planned. According to sources, at the INDIA bloc meeting on Thursday morning, there were a few stray voices advocating that the Opposition should participate in the debate to present its point of view. However, this opinion was immediately rejected by others who felt that Mr. Pradhan’s resignation had to take precedence over everything else, in keeping with public sentiment.

Mr. Gandhi and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav both argued strongly that no concession could be given on this demand. The Leader of Opposition said that the mood of the nation was “combative” and that the Opposition had to reflect this. He reiterated his comments from Wednesday’s meeting that there should be synchronisation between what the Opposition does inside Parliament and what it does outside it. Mr. Gandhi also argued that the Opposition’s actions needed to be democratised.

Mirror public sentiment

Moreover, it was felt that a debate would give the government an opportunity to grandstand and filibuster its way through by leaning on its numerical strength in the two Houses of Parliament. There was a unanimous decision that, as “public representatives”, the Opposition had to reflect public sentiment without giving the government any leeway.

The Opposition, meanwhile, reacted sharply to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s post on X. CPI(M) Rajya Sabha leader John Brittas said accountability must begin at the top, arguing that fast-track courts cannot address the systemic failures behind paper leaks. CPI general secretary D. Raja accused the government of systematically weakening the education system through policies that promote the “commercialisation, centralisation and communalisation” of education, and said the Prime Minister’s remarks failed to address students’ concerns. Senior RJD leader Manoj K. Jha called the remarks an attempt to “fool the nation”.