Don’t be afraid, stand up for what you believe in, Rahul tells agitating students

Rahul Gandhi, leader of the opposition interacting with Maniratnam, brother of neet victim Anitha during the “Chhatron ki Goonj” - student’s voice, a program organised by the Tamil Nadu Congress party in Chennai on Saturday, October 10, 2026. | Photo Credit: Raghunathan SR The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Saturday (October 10, 2026) urged the protesting students in New Delhi to carry on without fear and stand up for what they believe in, even in the face of a state crackdown through large-scale detentions and Internet shutdowns.Speaking at a Maanavargalin Kural (Chhatron Ki Goonj) event in Chennai on Saturday, Mr. Gandhi said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was attempting to silence dissenting voices through such crackdowns, oblivious of the fact that his “game is over”. “He is silencing voices, as you saw today in New Delhi. The entire city was shut down, Internet was shut down, police were beating students, the BJP released its own thugs and goondas who were beating and thrashing students,” Mr. Gandhi said to a large gathering of students and youth.When a participant expressed concerns over the detention of students, journalists, and lawyers, without dignity and respect, Mr. Gandhi replied: “I want to make it very clear to every single student who is protesting not only in Delhi [but] across the country: You have nothing to fear. We are with you and we are going to make sure that Mr. Narendra Modi, Mr. Amit Shah [Home Minister], Mr. Mohan Bhagwat [RSS chief], Mr. Ajit Doval [National Security Adviser], and this group of conspirators who have destroyed Indian democracy, who are using Mr. Gyanesh Kumar [Chief Election Commissioner] to steal elections, are brought to justice.”Allaying their fears, Mr. Gandhi said Prime Minister Modi had been “compromised by financial forces, by international forces... they control Mr. Modi”. He was fighting for his survival. The mood among students in India and the work done by the Opposition over the past couple of decades were having its effect on him, Mr. Gandhi said.‘Full-scale attack on T.N.’The Centre, he said, has launched a full-scale attack on Tamil culture, Tamil language, its history, and its traditions through language imposition and centralisation of entrance exams like NEET. The Central government has withheld ₹3,300 crore from Tamil Nadu’s schools for not implementing the three-language policy as per the National Education Policy 2020. Besides, there had been an 87% fall in the Tamil-medium students’ share of MBBS seats because of NEET. Moreover, 78% of State-run universities in Tamil Nadu were without Vice-Chancellors because the Governor wanted to ensure that they were run by people from the RSS. On top of it, the delimitation policy was designed to punish Tamil Nadu and reduce its voice in Parliament, he alleged.Recalling the contributions of poet-saint Thiruvalluvar and social activist-rationalist (E.V. Ramasamy) Periyar in shaping the culture of curiosity and inquiry among the people of Tamil Nadu, he asked Indhiyapriyan, a participant and follower of Periyar, what Periyar would have told Mr. Modi had they met. His response drew loud cheer from the participants: “Periyar would have said that religion, caste, and patriarchy aren’t noble principles to be adhered to, but humanity is and should be embraced.”Mr. Gandhi also interacted with Manirathnam, the brother of Anitha, the NEET aspirant whose death sparked the demand for a ban on the test. Published - October 10, 2026 10:57 pm IST