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As Congress’s Priyanka Gandhi Vadra passed by, BJP MP Mukesh Dalal said, “Why didn’t you go to Jharkhand?” She responded that Rahul Gandhi had already met the protesting students
BJP MP Dalal with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. (PTI/Instagram)
A heated exchange erupted between Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Bharatiya Janata Party MP Mukesh Dalal at Parliament’s Makar Dwar over the ongoing Jharkhand student protest row.
As the Congress continues to target the BJP over the now-concluded Delhi protest at Jantar Mantar, Dalal was seen shouting ‘Rahul Gandhi Sharam Karo’ slogans outside Parliament.
When Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was passing by, Dalal asked her why she had not visited Jharkhand where students are protesting against JPPC-JSSC exam irregularities. “Why didn’t you go to Jharkhand,” Dalal asked.
Gandhi responded that Rahul Gandhi had already met the protesting students.
She later said, “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.”
#WATCH | Delhi: Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra says, “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.” pic.twitter.com/DZ7gYgLPoS— ANI (@ANI) August 11, 2026
RAHUL GANDHI’S STANCE
Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi has condemned the police use of force against job aspirants in Jharkhand, calling the crackdown wrong and emphasizing that students have an absolute right to peaceful protest. The student agitation in Ranchi — prompted by alleged recruitment exam irregularities tied to the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) — has sparked a massive political confrontation.
Following incidents where Ranchi police used water cannons, tear gas, and lathicharges against job aspirants marching towards the state Assembly, Gandhi stated: “My message to Jharkhand students is very clear. We condemn any violence against peacefully protesting students.”
He urged the Hemant Soren-led Jharkhand government (in which the Congress party is a major ruling alliance partner) to immediately listen to the students’ concerns, stating that “only dialogue can yield solutions”.
Gandhi broadened his remarks to state that student agitations across the country are symptoms of a “collapsed, expensive, and oppressive” education and examination system. He asserted that every administration—whether the central government or state governments ruled by the Congress or the JMM—has an obligation to fix these institutional deficiencies.
Senior BJP leaders, including Jharkhand Leader of the Opposition Babulal Marandi and MP Nishikant Dubey, slammed Gandhi’s comments as “double standards” and “duplicitous”. They dared the Congress leadership to back up its words by withdrawing support from the Hemant Soren government if they are genuinely serious about the students’ demands.
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August 11, 2026, 12:57 IST
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