00:00So let's raise the big questions. Is a competition now brewing for the Gen Z vote?
00:07Can the opposition capitalize on the youth anger or will these student protests now fizzle out?
00:14Is the Modi government unwilling to listen to the voices of protest at Jantar Mantar?
00:20And is Sonam Vangchuk emerging in a way as a face of these protests?
00:26Those are the big questions I want to raise.
00:27Joining me now, Sanju Verma, National Spokesperson BJP, Mohan Kumar Manglam, National Spokesperson Congress and Somnath Bharti of the AMRB
00:36Party, former minister in the Delhi government.
00:39Good to have all of you on the show. Mohan Kumar Manglam, one of the defining images today was of
00:43a Congress leader, Pawan Khera, finally going to Jantar Mantar to meet Sonam Vangchuk.
00:49Until now, the Congress has been staying away. Rahul Gandhi's holding is held his own rally today in Dehradun Chhatro
00:56Ki Goonj saying and congressmen saying they are the first who took up this neat issue.
01:01How does one see it? Rahul Gandhi and the Congress, do they want to be ekla chalo re on this
01:07or do they want to align with Sonam Vangchuk and dare I say the Cockroach Janta Party now?
01:14Rajdeep ji, I don't think it's a question of alignment in terms of aligning forces at the Jantar Mantar, but
01:20more of adding strength to what the youth of the country is talking about already,
01:25which is the neat exam leaks, the unfair nature of the education system as it has developed over the years.
01:32So, as Mr. Gandhi has taken this up, and I would say that the neat issue is actually something that
01:37was brought to the fore in a very large way by our state of Tamil Nadu.
01:42I think we were the first to protest in a very large way about how the neat wasn't appropriate for
01:47us.
01:47And it was Mr. Gandhi and the Congress government that in the subsequent manifesto said that neat can be exempted
01:53for states like Tamil Nadu that already have a robust testing mechanism.
01:58So, the question of neat in itself is something that has been discussed and talked about for many years.
02:03Now, Mr. Gandhi has obviously broadened the debate.
02:05He's talking about the entire education system.
02:08He's talking about the need to remove it from where it's gone entirely, which is private hands.
02:14He made a stark comparison of the amount of money that parents spend on tuitions in order for neat and
02:21compared it to the entire education budget of the country.
02:23His larger point is that the budget that we allocate towards education, the public institutions that are designed to educate
02:31our youth, are not doing their job.
02:33They need to be strengthened and they need to be widened.
02:35So, in that sense, we have similar objectives to what the Cocker Janata Party is also talking about.
02:41And we believe that whether it is our youth wing, our students wing or Mr. Gandhi himself leading the charge
02:47on this, we're adding strength to what they are asking for, which is similar to what we are also demanding.
02:56No, so are you making a distinction between Sonam Vangchuk and the Cocker Janata Party?
03:01When I see Pawan Khera on the stage with Sonam Vangchuk, because all other opposition parties, Trinamul Congress, Samajwadi Party,
03:08Amadmi Party, all had already gone on the stage over the last few days.
03:13The Congress was staying away.
03:14Are we seeing a change in strategy?
03:16We are told that it was Sonia Gandhi who was keen that the Congress reach out to Sonam Vangchuk.
03:22Is that true or not?
03:22Until now, you are staying away.
03:25Rajinder, I am not aware of whether Mrs. Gandhi intervened and expressed an interest that we do go.
03:31I think Mr. Venugopal himself tweeted a day ago, two days ago, saying that we were all concerned with Mr.
03:37Sonam Vangchuk's health and that we will continue this fight on his behalf and with him as long as he
03:44is healthy.
03:45And we encourage him to end his fast.
03:47This is exactly the line that Congress has taken.
03:49I think the Cocker Janata Party itself wasn't keen on sharing stage with politicians from the opposition.
03:56And therefore, many of the parties stayed away from their protests in the past.
04:01Now they have started to welcome people from the opposition.
04:04So you are seeing parties, including us, that have gone and actually, and most of them, most of all the
04:10opposition parties, haven't talked much about the demands that the Cocker Janata Party is making,
04:15but rather have gone to try and persuade Mr. Vangchuk, who we believe has made incredible contributions to this country,
04:22to end his fast so that he can protect his health and his well-being.
04:29Okay. Sanju Verma, do you want to respond?
04:32Because the government has stayed silent.
04:34There's a parliament session starting in a few days from now on Monday.
04:37The government so far has not reacted at all to these protests.
04:41Is that now going to change?
04:42Because you are seeing the crowds are gathering there.
04:45A lot of celebrities are asking Sonam Vangchuk to end his fast.
04:49The opposition is gathering around him.
04:51Have things changed or is the government very clear?
04:54Now that the NEET exams are done, the retest is done, we don't need to now address any issue.
04:58Dharmendra Pradhan is not going anywhere.
05:00No one is going to resign.
05:01We are not going to have any dialogue with any of these protesters.
05:06You know, Rajdeep, before speaking on the protests, I just want to point out the hypocrisy of the Congress Party.
05:13On the one hand, Rahul Gandhi says, I want to take out a protest, standing in solidarity with the youth
05:20and the youngsters and student community of India.
05:23But let's not fool ourselves.
05:25And I don't want to be interrupted when I'm saying this.
05:302012, when the chief minister of Haryana was a man called Bhupinder Singh Hudda, there were 29 paper leaks.
05:38Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Vajra ke moho mein dahi jam gaya tha.
05:422012 again, when Prithvirat Chaban of the Congress Party was the chief minister of Maharashtra, there were 31 paper leaks.
05:52Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Vajra ke moho mein dahi jam gaya tha.
05:57And more recently, in 2022, under the very incompetent Ashok Gehlot, there were 24 paper leaks.
06:06Forget about taking any action against Vaibhav Gehlot, who was involved in the recruitment board scam.
06:13He's the son of Ashok Gehlot.
06:15Forget criticizing Ashok Gehlot.
06:17Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Vajra, tabhi in ke moho mein dahi jam gaya tha.
06:22So, for now, a very hypocritical Rahul Gandhi to suddenly develop empathy, compassion for students.
06:31Do you think people of this country can't see through the charade of Rahul Gandhi, who has more than 98
06:38electoral losses under his head?
06:40What is the BJP stand?
06:43No, no, forget about what the Congress is not in power.
06:46Madam, what is the center stand?
06:48What is the center stand?
06:49Do they take these protesters seriously?
06:51Are they worried, concerned about a Sonam Vangchuk?
06:53Do they want to have any dialogue with the Kokrut Janata Party?
06:57What is the BJP?
06:59What is the government stand?
07:01Yes.
07:01So, let me make one thing very, very clear.
07:05Besant, D-I-S-S-E-N-T is allowed.
07:08But you need to separate D-I-S-S-E-N-T from D-E-S-C-E-N-T.
07:15What do I see during these protests?
07:17These so-called karta dharkas of the student movement stuffing themselves with samosas, bread, pakoras,
07:24and then having the audacity to say,
07:26hum chaate hai ki Dharmendra Pradhan resign kare.
07:29Let me say one thing very clearly.
07:30Under Article 75 of the Constitution,
07:34whether Rajdeep, Mohan, Sanju Verma, or Somnath Bharti likes it or not,
07:39the decision on who will be inducted, who will be expelled, who will be removed,
07:45rests solely with the Prime Minister of this country,
07:48and he is constitutionally mandated to decide what he will do with a Cabinet Minister.
07:54That is not going to be decided on prime time television.
07:57And the second point, second point, let me make one thing very clear.
08:02Who are the people who have come to this protest?
08:05A starlet called Swara Bhaskar, who nobody cares about?
08:09Somebody called Yogendra Yadav,
08:11who is competing with Rahul Gandhi in terms of how many times
08:14his electoral predictions have failed?
08:17BJP toh Haryana haarej, BJP one Haryana for the third time.
08:21Yogendra Yadav is a favorite on your show.
08:24BJP toh Maharashtra haarnay wali hai buri tada.
08:27BJP one with a strike rate of 91%.
08:29Are these the kind of people who invent credibility?
08:32I think there's so much material.
08:34No credibility?
08:36Okay.
08:37No Bahamu sri ghani chhaanay.
08:39Okay, you made your point.
08:42Madam, you're dismissing this entire agitation in that sense.
08:46You believe that there is no reason for anyone to listen to them
08:48or for anyone to, much less for someone to resign.
08:51But Somnath Bharti, what about the Aam Aatmi Party?
08:54Many of the organizers at some stage in the past,
08:57like Abhiji Deepke of the Kokrit Janta Party,
09:00were once involved with AAP.
09:01Yesterday, we saw Arvind Kejriwal also go on the stage
09:04and ask Sonam Vangchuk to call off his fast.
09:06Is the Aam Aatmi Party hoping to ride on this?
09:09Because ironically, you were the ones who were part of Team Anna
09:12that eventually brought down, many believe, the UPA government.
09:17Are you hoping that the same thing will happen this time?
09:24Rajdeep, we are missing the whole point in the discussion.
09:27Mr. Bharti.
09:28The point is what Mr. Sonam Vangchuk's wife has said today.
09:32Can you hear me?
09:33Am I audible?
09:35Okay.
09:36So see, we need to understand what exactly is the issue out there.
09:40The issue is, education should become the center point
09:45of the parliament session and the discussion.
09:48The youth, the country should be worried about.
09:51The people who are sitting out there,
09:53they're not sitting out there for the sake of it.
09:57This is the 30th day of the protest
09:59and 20th day of the Sonam Vangchuk's hunger strike.
10:03So the government is missing out all at all, you know, everything.
10:07What Sanjurji is saying so far,
10:10she has not said a word on the accountability.
10:13See, if they're in the government,
10:15who will be accountable towards paper leakages?
10:18Then she will bring instances from the Congress government?
10:21Is that what the BJP had come for in the power?
10:25See, we don't understand the point.
10:28The youth today is absolutely too angry towards the system.
10:34They're seeking accountability.
10:37They're seeking answers.
10:38Had they, let's say, on the very first day,
10:41when CJP, in fact, I'm very thankful to Honorable CGI,
10:45Mr. Sudeikhan, for having used that word cockroach.
10:50Had he not used the word, this would not happen.
10:52You know, Bhagawan Sriram also blessed this entire movement
10:56across the nation, making people furious about BJP acts.
10:59So what I'm saying, that today the government
11:03is not having any answer whatsoever.
11:06We all were away from the protest,
11:09because we knew the moment a politician goes to the protest,
11:14BJP will get the golden chance to term it a party's affair.
11:18And that is the issue we need to be discussing about.
11:21Let this parliament session, let the 20th of July,
11:24become a defining moment in the country.
11:28No, no, but now you've gone.
11:31Okay, but now all of you have joined the protest.
11:34It's interesting, you're saying initially you didn't want to join.
11:37Now, I just want to draw.
11:38No, I just.
11:41Yes.
11:43Permit me.
11:44One minute, let him complete.
11:45Complete Somnath.
11:46See, what I'm saying, initially.
11:48Yeah, please do.
11:49Initially, we see, when they permitted,
11:53when the students started gathering there at the Jantra Mantra,
11:56and when it was joined by Sonam Bangchuk ji,
12:00the whole mission,
12:02the entire country was looking towards,
12:04that will the government be at all interested in the youth of the country?
12:08Will the government be at all interested in the education of the youth or not?
12:14Unfortunately, government does not give a damn towards these things.
12:17Why?
12:18You know why?
12:18Because they're too much.
12:20They have, they're too much equal to stick.
12:24They think they can win elections, come what may,
12:28because Ghanesh Kumar is with them.
12:30And because they are, they have all the paraphernalia to win election over.
12:35They're no longer seeking votes.
12:36Give me one speech, Mr. Modi,
12:39where he's saying that I want,
12:42I'll provide world-class education to the country.
12:45Give me a vote.
12:46Not one single speech.
12:49Oh, okay.
12:50I've heard, I've heard both,
12:52I've heard all of you for a moment.
12:53Shanyu Verma, just a minute.
12:54I want to just draw, you know, it's very interesting.
12:56You can draw a difference between the Anna protests of 2011 and 2026.
13:00How did the protests differ?
13:02Anna fast was over the wider topic of corruption
13:04and demand for a Lokpal law legislation.
13:07The Wangchuk fast or the fast of the,
13:09of the students at the moment
13:10has a narrow focus on the education minister's ouster.
13:14No party associated openly with Anna fast,
13:17although the BJP RSS pulled the strings from the back.
13:21Opposition parties have declared support for Wangchuk
13:23pretty openly gone on the stage with him.
13:26During Anna's fast,
13:27the Manmohan government was ready to engage with them.
13:31The Modi government unwilling to engage with the protesters.
13:34Anna's second fast ended in 13 days.
13:36Wangchuk's fast is into 20 days and is still on.
13:41Shanyu Verma, are you in a way
13:45underestimating the power of this Gen Z vote or the youth?
13:48There is youth anger.
13:49Forget paper leaks.
13:50There's a general sense.
13:51What is our future?
13:52Economic uncertainty.
13:53Will we get jobs, livelihoods, incomes?
13:56Why not reach out to these youth?
13:59Surely the government should be engaging in dialogue with protesters.
14:04Why not engage with them?
14:06Why treat them as anti-nationals or desh drohis?
14:09Let me make one thing very clear.
14:12You will not put words into my mouth.
14:14I have not called anyone desh drohi.
14:16But the limited point is this.
14:19You have two people from the opposition.
14:21Need to address Mr. Bharti's allegations.
14:23You know, it's very rich of Mr. Bharti
14:26with no offense to him to sit on your show
14:28and tell BJP na hiya nahi kiya.
14:30Modi sarkar nahi nahi kiya.
14:32Aam aamni party in 2022 promised
14:35thousand rupees per month
14:37to every woman above the age of 18 in Punjab.
14:41Ek naya paisa nahi tiya.
14:43They said we will give permanent land rights
14:45to more than 35 farmers in Punjab.
14:49Ek naya paisa nahi tiya.
14:52Can I finish?
14:53Can I finish?
14:54I did not heckle him.
14:55Now you have to stop me.
14:56One minute, Mr. Bharti.
14:57No, no.
14:57No, but why are you not answering my question?
15:00Every time I ask you a question,
15:01you talk about another party.
15:03Why this water boundary?
15:04Answer my question.
15:06Does the government underestimate
15:07the anger of the youth?
15:10Rajdeep, what I don't like is
15:12when Mr. Bharti was speaking
15:13and he was going all over the place
15:15making reckless allegations in BJP,
15:17you were quiet.
15:18The moment I start speaking,
15:19you are the one who engages in water boundary.
15:22I will say what I want to say.
15:23Let me have my say, please.
15:25Thank you, Mr. Seasoned Journalist.
15:27Yes.
15:28Yes.
15:29Sabse bada waayda.
15:31Kya tha Ardind Kejriwal ka?
15:32The Kejriwal model is a disaster.
15:35Ham Punjab ko nasha mukt, drug mukt karenge.
15:39Aha, the latest statistics.
15:4187.3% of all drug-related deaths
15:45come from where?
15:47Punjab.
15:4891.2% of all drug-related deaths
15:51below the age of 17 years
15:53come from where?
15:55Punjab.
15:56Overall, 96.4% of all drug-related cases
16:01emanate from Punjab.
16:03Aapne kya kiya?
16:05Nasha mukt, Punjab, to dhur ki baat hai.
16:07Aakke Bhagman Singh.
16:08I'm asking you about the BJP stand.
16:11You're telling me what the Aam Aadbi Party
16:12has not done.
16:14Madam, madam, madam.
16:16Na idhar ki baat na karna udhar ki.
16:18You answer my question directly.
16:20Does this government appreciate
16:22that there could be anger, anxiety among the youth?
16:25Quick, straight answer.
16:27Forget about AAP and Congress.
16:28They're not in power in Delhi.
16:29No, no, no.
16:30No, no.
16:30Mr. Bharti, do not intervene, please.
16:33I need to respond.
16:34Okay.
16:35Okay, I'll let you respond at the end,
16:36but let her...
16:38Okay, let her...
16:39Yeah, please finish.
16:41I'm happy to see that you're not saying
16:43shut down the freedom of Somnath Bharti
16:45because you're quick to do that to Sanju Varma.
16:48Now, let me say this.
16:49Since you read out two lines in Hindi...
16:51Oh, madam, madam, please now.
16:52Madam, I'm a chance for that day.
16:53Please, let me finish, please.
16:55Let's not get into this tutu.
16:57I don't want to do that.
16:59Yeah, please.
17:02Yes.
17:02We know the truth of the truth of the world,
17:04but the truth of the heart is good for the heart.
17:09Prime Minister Modi,
17:11and under his dynamic leadership,
17:14we won three loads of elections in a row.
17:16Gen Z participated or not?
17:18Yes.
17:19In Maharashtra alone,
17:2068,000,000 people were first-time voters,
17:24Gen Z voters.
17:25We won't win in Maharashtra, or not?
17:27Yes.
17:2829,000 voters in Haryana
17:30were first-time voters of Gen Z.
17:32We won't win in Haryana.
17:33We won't win in Haryana.
17:34In Delhi,
17:3443,000 people were first-time voters.
17:38We won't win in Delhi.
17:39We won't win in Delhi.
17:39We won.
17:40And let me tell you one more thing.
17:4256,000,000 voters were Gen Z voters
17:45and first-time voters.
17:47How many seats did you get?
17:4989.
17:50And Congress fought in 11.
17:53Okay.
17:53Powerful.
17:54Good argument.
17:55Good, strong argument.
17:57You have given hands,
17:59Miss Sanju Verma.
18:01I've got the drift of your argument.
18:03Let Mohan Kumar Mangalam respond.
18:04While we talk of Gen Z,
18:06Gen Z anger, anxiety,
18:07Sanju Verma says,
18:08look at elections in the last two years.
18:11I'll let you respond at the end, Somnan.
18:13But Mohan Kumar Mangalam,
18:15the argument being made is
18:16we are winning elections.
18:18Gen Z is with us,
18:19is what she says.
18:21Let me first say that
18:22I'm constantly amazed
18:24by Sanju Ji's pattern.
18:27There's vitriol.
18:28There's water boundary.
18:29There's demeaning everybody
18:30under the sun
18:31except her own party.
18:32And then there is
18:33the fake victimhood with you
18:34which comes out
18:35once in a while.
18:36Now let me say
18:38that
18:39I think she's got it entirely wrong.
18:42Yes, you're winning elections.
18:43And I'm not going to go into
18:44how you're winning elections.
18:46But the fact that
18:47you've won an election
18:48and the fact that
18:49you have an elected prime minister
18:50makes you responsible
18:52to listen to the voices
18:54of your citizens
18:55by saying that
18:56they're not dissidents
18:57but they have descended
18:58to some level lower
19:00by ridiculing them
19:01and saying that
19:02they're beating Samosa.
19:03I mean, you want everybody
19:04there in the protest
19:07to actually go on out of the past.
19:07Please put her voice down now.
19:08Sanju Verma, your voice will go down.
19:09Will that be sufficient cause
19:11for your government
19:12to actually engage
19:13and listen to the voice of people?
19:15You are shying away
19:17from saying they're anti-national.
19:18But, you know,
19:19this is exactly
19:20the modus operandi
19:21you used
19:22when the Olympic-winning wrestlers
19:24were in protest.
19:25I'm just happy
19:26you haven't sent
19:26the police force out there
19:27yet to beat them up
19:29in some sort of midnight coup
19:31that you did
19:31with the wrestlers as well.
19:32How often
19:34can you rely
19:35on saying that
19:36oh, we have electoral victories
19:38so we don't really
19:39need to listen
19:39to anybody else's voice
19:41out there.
19:42We feel like
19:43we represent
19:43the entire voice
19:44of the nation.
19:45You don't.
19:46It's a first-past-the-post system.
19:48You got 33-34%
19:49of the vote
19:50and you won.
19:5160-plus percent
19:52of the nation
19:53still wants you
19:54to hear from them
19:54because you are
19:55their prime minister.
19:57You run the government.
19:58Now, I think I want to
19:58come back to education.
19:59We have a stacked
20:00legislative agenda
20:01in parliament.
20:02I thought we were going
20:03to talk about that
20:03in this debate actually.
20:05And even though
20:05NEET and NTA
20:07has failed so spectacularly
20:08by not being able
20:10to carry out exams
20:11without the number
20:11of leaks and pre-tries
20:13that they've had,
20:13they actually have
20:14a bill similar to this
20:15called the Vixen
20:16Bharat Shiksha bill
20:17that they're bringing
20:17in parliament this time
20:18which seeks to actually
20:20assert powers from
20:21UGC, AICTE, NCTE
20:23and give overwhelming
20:26powers, all of it
20:27to this one body.
20:28There's no grant
20:29giving counsel.
20:30So now politicians
20:31will decide who gets
20:32grants and who doesn't.
20:33In fact, the IITs,
20:35IAMs and NITs
20:36might also be subject
20:37to them because
20:38the bill says
20:39that it asserts powers
20:40from all underneath laws.
20:42And there's no consultation
20:43again.
20:44Again, it's typical
20:45of BJP.
20:46This is the Vixen Bharat.
20:47Basically, centralized power,
20:48centralized money
20:49and operate everything
20:51with impunity
20:52and then when things
20:53go wrong,
20:54abdicate on responsibility
20:55because, hey,
20:56we're winning elections,
20:56right?
20:57So who cares?
20:59Okay.
21:00Okay.
21:01So, okay.
21:02That's a strong point again.
21:04I want to give
21:04Somnath Bharti a word.
21:05Somnath Bharti,
21:06you said,
21:07and this is a final word,
21:08you wanted to challenge
21:09Sanju Verma.
21:10What is your challenge?
21:12What is the basis
21:12of the challenge?
21:14She says,
21:14I'm Aatmi Party
21:15has no local standard
21:17to target us.
21:17Look at how
21:18you've handled Punjab.
21:23Rajdeep,
21:24I was laughing
21:25when I was listening
21:26to Sanju Verma.
21:27She was speaking
21:28lies after lies
21:29after lies.
21:30She follows
21:31the practices
21:32adopted by
21:33Honorable Prime Minister
21:34Mr. Modi.
21:36Neither he
21:36hesitates
21:37speaking lies
21:38What's the lie?
21:39What's the lie?
21:40The problem is...
21:41Put her voice down.
21:42What's the lie?
21:43The lie is
21:44be started,
21:46be started,
21:46be started.
21:47No,
21:48I mean,
21:49the women in Punjab
21:50have been getting...
21:51That's what I'm saying.
21:52So the monthly scheme
21:54for the women in Punjab,
21:55I mean,
21:56that's happening.
21:57Ask any woman
21:58in Punjab.
21:59See,
21:59she's being a lie
22:00on your channel.
22:01Number two,
22:03Punjab became
22:04the first state
22:05in India.
22:06See,
22:06while Gujarat,
22:0830,000 crore worth
22:11drugs were
22:12offloaded
22:12at the port
22:14in Gujarat.
22:15And in Punjab,
22:17we have been
22:17the first government
22:18in the history
22:19of India
22:20where we have
22:21recovered,
22:22you know,
22:23all the drugs
22:25combined possibly
22:26by the first
22:27governments,
22:27all the governments.
22:28And recently,
22:29in 2025,
22:31this is the
22:31NCRP data,
22:32NCRP data,
22:34that says
22:34we recovered
22:35two tons
22:36of heroin
22:37in 2025 only,
22:40which is 58%
22:41of all heroin
22:42seized in India.
22:44So what I'm saying,
22:45the Amadmi Party's
22:47education policy,
22:48which is based
22:49on five things,
22:50world-class government,
22:52school infrastructure,
22:53high-quality
22:54teacher training,
22:55student-centered
22:56curriculum,
22:56you know,
22:57happiness curriculum,
22:58entrepreneurship curriculum,
23:00deshbhakti curriculum,
23:01strong parental
23:03participation.
23:04We have the
23:04first government
23:05which has got
23:06government schools
23:07doing parent-teacher
23:08meeting.
23:09So you're saying,
23:09you're saying,
23:11no, no,
23:11excel,
23:12way beyond the private.
23:15I,
23:15I,
23:15Mr.
23:16Mr. Sovnat Bharti,
23:17Mr. Sovnat Bharti,
23:19the real issue,
23:20of course,
23:20is that there is
23:21genuine,
23:25education at the
23:27end of the day
23:27needs to be
23:28center stage.
23:29We want education
23:30and education-related
23:31issues to be
23:32politically central
23:33state.
23:33The question,
23:34of course,
23:34is,
23:35and this is a
23:35final point I want,
23:37no, no,
23:37one minute,
23:38Mr. Bharti,
23:38is a fast the
23:39right way to
23:40protest?
23:40Give me a quick
23:41answer.
23:42Is the,
23:42there will be
23:43those who will
23:43say,
23:44Sonam Vangchuk
23:45by going on a
23:46fast cannot
23:47expect the
23:48government.
23:48Governments will
23:49not bend because
23:50Sonam Vangchuk
23:50goes on fast.
23:51Give me a quick
23:52answer to that.
23:53Why should
23:53government bend?
23:55They are the
23:55primary,
23:55he is the
23:56prime minister of
23:56the country,
23:57Narendra Modi
23:57and he decides
23:59according to
24:00Sanju Verma
24:00who will be
24:01the minister.
24:02He will not
24:03decide,
24:03you cannot decide
24:04who will be
24:04the education
24:05minister of
24:05the country,
24:06he says.
24:10sir,
24:11we see the
24:12government has
24:13to be
24:13accountable to
24:14the people
24:14of India
24:15as per the
24:15constitution of
24:16India.
24:16The accountability
24:17of the government
24:18is towards the
24:19people.
24:20People have
24:20gathered there
24:21because the
24:22government failed
24:23in giving the
24:24qualitative education,
24:25in giving the
24:26paper leak-free
24:28environment.
24:29Twenty students
24:30have come
24:30to decide.
24:31Somebody,
24:32somebody child
24:32is gone.
24:33See,
24:34people have
24:34asked to
24:36listen to the
24:37Now,
24:40government is
24:41duty-bound to
24:42listen to the
24:43requests of the
24:44people.
24:45Sonam Bangchuk is
24:46all right in
24:47his demand.
24:48Makes education
24:49as the fulcrum of
24:51the democracy in
24:52India and the
24:52discussion in the
24:53parliament.
24:54Twentyth July,
24:55let's all gather
24:56in Delhi.
24:57Thank you very
24:57much.
24:58I invite people
24:58to gather in
25:00Delhi.
25:00Choke Delhi.
25:03You have two
25:03people from the
25:04opposition.
25:04Can you please
25:05be fair?
25:06Give me 20
25:06seconds.
25:08Last 30
25:09seconds, please.
25:10I've heard two
25:11people from the
25:11I'm going to
25:11leave it there.
25:13Twenty seconds.
25:15Twenty seconds.
25:16Twenty seconds.
25:18Give it.
25:19Take it.
25:20In 20 seconds,
25:21I will just say
25:22this.
25:23Rahul Gandhi has
25:24failed the
25:25Congress Party
25:25again and again
25:26and again.
25:27he's like that
25:28bad product which
25:29needs to be taken
25:30off the shelf.
25:31She has something
25:31substantial to say
25:33about the debate.
25:35I mean, again,
25:37it's okay.
25:39Okay.
25:39I've heard you
25:40have already
25:41attacked Rahul
25:42Gandhi several
25:43times on this
25:44program.
25:45You've attacked
25:45Rahul Gandhi.
25:46You made your
25:47point.
25:49But I...
25:50Okay.
25:55I've heard you
25:58all.
25:59Okay, my take
26:00on the issue.
26:01The politics that
26:02has exploded
26:03over Sonam
26:04Wangchuk's fast
26:05and students'
26:06protests should
26:07come as no
26:08surprise.
26:09With a parliament
26:10session due
26:11next week,
26:12the political
26:13battle lines
26:14are clearly
26:15being drawn.
26:16But beyond
26:16the polarized
26:17politics,
26:18there is a
26:18larger issue
26:19of how to
26:20deal with
26:21such protests.
26:22From Anna
26:23Hazare to
26:24Sonam
26:25Wangchuk,
26:25India has
26:26a proud
26:26tradition of
26:27peaceful
26:28Gandhian
26:29protests.
26:30Governments
26:30need not
26:31agree with
26:31every demand
26:32of the
26:32protesters.
26:33But they
26:34weaken democracy
26:35if they
26:35respond with
26:36silence,
26:37excessive
26:38force or
26:39treating
26:39dissenters as
26:40simply a
26:41law and
26:41order problem.
26:43Student
26:43movements and
26:44citizen
26:45movements have
26:46often been
26:47catalysts for
26:48democratic
26:48change in
26:49this country.
26:50A nation
26:51that has
26:51celebrated
26:52dissent in
26:53the past
26:53cannot
26:54criminalize
26:55or ignore
26:56it in
26:56the present.
26:57Resignation
26:58of any
26:59minister may
27:00not resolve
27:01the issue
27:02of poorly
27:02conducted
27:03exams,
27:04but surely
27:05ignoring the
27:06genuine
27:06concerns of
27:08many of
27:08the protests
27:09raises the
27:10larger question
27:11of democratic
27:13accountability
27:13that simply
27:15cannot be
27:16brushed aside
27:17so easily.
27:19Think about
27:20it.
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