Riya Ahir Alleges Harassment, Says FIR Yet to Be Registered Despite Police Complaint
New Delhi, August 5: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi met a group of student protesters from different states and expressed support for their campaign, alleging that they were facing harassment despite holding peaceful protests.
Addressing the media after the meeting, Rahul Gandhi said he wanted to thank the youth for fighting to protect the education system and the Constitution. He claimed the protesters had not resorted to violence but were being threatened and harassed.
He said the students believed that citizens must stand against injustice irrespective of who faces it, adding that he was proud of the young people for raising their voices. According to Gandhi, the youth had done nothing wrong and had no reason to apologize.
Rahul Gandhi said he held a “free and frank” discussion with the students, during which they spoke about being allegedly assaulted, beaten and threatened. He praised them for defending the Constitution and what he described as the idea of India and its future.
The Congress leader asserted that raising concerns about shortcomings in the education system was not a crime. He said reforms were needed to improve the education system, prevent examination paper leaks and ensure a secure future for the country’s youth. Referring to the reported apologies by some protesters, Gandhi alleged that sending “goondas” to their homes after accepting those apologies was unjustified.
Targeting the Union government, Rahul Gandhi said the young protesters had shown courage by speaking publicly despite facing what he described as harassment, violence and torture. He also questioned the absence of the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister from addressing the issue directly.
Holding the Union Home Minister responsible for the alleged violence against students, Gandhi claimed there were only two possibilities: either the Home Minister was unaware of the incidents, which would indicate incompetence, or he had ordered the action, which would make him responsible. He said that, in either case, accountability rested with the Home Minister. These are political allegations made by Rahul Gandhi, and no official response from the Union Home Minister regarding these specific remarks was available at the time of writing.
Riya Ahir Raises Allegations Before Rahul Gandhi
Among the students who met Rahul Gandhi was Riya Ahir, who claimed she had previously stopped a police van in Mumbai to prevent the alleged illegal detention of 20 children during the agitation over the alleged NEET paper leak.
Speaking after the meeting, Ahir said, “I am the same girl who had stopped the police van in Mumbai, and now many narratives are being run about me.”
She alleged that she is now facing harassment because of her actions and said she had filed a police complaint on July 27, but as of August 5, no First Information Report (FIR) had been registered.
Ahir also thanked the youth who, according to her, have stood by her during the ongoing developments.
Note: The claims made by Riya Ahir regarding harassment, the alleged illegal detention of children and the non-registration of an FIR are her allegations. There has been no official response from the police regarding these claims at the time of writing.