Rahul Gandhi Holds Press Conference with Jantar Mantar Students Amid BJP Rebuttal

Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi convened a press conference with students who had staged a protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar. He accused the government of intimidating and threatening young demonstrators and said the students faced police harassment but had not engaged in violence.

BJP MP Sambit Patra responded, questioning why Gandhi does not visit the students in Ranchi, Jharkhand, and asserted that no firing occurred at the Jantar Mantar demonstration. Patra warned against politicising student grievances and urged Gandhi to address the issues on the ground.

The event also featured Mumbai activist Riya Ahir, who claimed she stopped a police van from detaining twenty children and said she is being harassed for her actions. Additional student testimonies described alleged police use of a pellet gun, beatings, and prolonged detention during the protest. Both parties framed the incident as a clash over the right to protest and the treatment of youth in India.