Congress 'Not Concerned About Sonam Wangchuk', Says 'The Face Of Protest Is Students' | Video

Last Updated:July 23, 2026, 21:58 IST

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, accompanied by leaders of the INDIA bloc, visited Gandhi Smriti on Thursday to pay tribute to students who died by suicide.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, along with senior party leaders and MPs from the INDIA bloc, marched to Gandhi Smriti on Thursday in support of students protesting at Jantar Mantar over the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak.

Even as the march coincided with Sonam Wangchuk’s indefinite hunger strike and the ongoing agitation led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), the Congress made it clear that its protest was independent of both and centred solely on students’ concerns and education reforms.

Speaking to CNN-News18, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram said Wangchuk was not leading the movement being backed by the party.

“He’s not the face of the protest. The face of the protest is the students only. So, I don’t hold any brief for Mr. Wangchuk and I hope he’s hale and healthy. I mean, why he protests, what he wants is his, his, his, an remit and his has of no concern to me, personally."

He added, “We are not concerned about Mr Wangchuk. He is not the real issue here."

When asked whether Wangchuk had become the face of the larger protest, Chidambaram rejected the suggestion.

“I don’t know why you’re bringing Mr. Wangchuk into this. I don’t know why you’re bringing Mr. Wangchuk into this. Has he become the leader of the entire student movement in India?"

Explaining the Congress’ stand, the MP said the party’s focus was on fixing the country’s examination system and ensuring accountability.

“We, as a political party, are highlighting and articulating concerns that we believe are important at this point in time, namely the students’ angst against the examination system. Examinations are, first of all, a ladder for progress, but they have also become a big industry. Preparatory courses for these exams have become a huge business. That, in itself, places a significant financial burden on many students, and it clearly skews the playing field in favor of those who can afford these coaching courses. Those who cannot afford them are left behind."

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, accompanied by leaders of the INDIA bloc, visited Gandhi Smriti on Thursday to pay tribute to students who allegedly died by suicide after the NEET-UG paper leak and to express support for those injured during the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led protests. The Opposition leaders travelled to the memorial in buses amid heightened security arrangements in the national capital.

Addressing the gathering, Rahul Gandhi accused the Centre of suppressing students’ voices and demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

“Our leader Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated over here. Today, the Modi government is assassinating democracy in India, brutalising students, and beating students. The Opposition is not going to accept this. We are with the students, and Mr Narendra Modi has to remove the Education Minister and apologise," he said.

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Anushka Vats

Anushka Vats is a Sub-Editor at News18.com with a passion for storytelling and a curiosity that extends beyond the newsroom. She covers both national and international news. For more stories, you can ...Read More

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