Rahul Gandhi:In an emotional social media post, Rahul Gandhi condemned the police attack on peaceful teachers for aspiring SSC candidates protesting at Ramlila Maidan, calling the violence “cowardly”. This protest, he wrote on X, consists of young people asking for their rights, which are employment and justice, and their ugly, violent force.
Context of the protest
On August 24, 2025, about 1,500 students and educators gathered at Ramlila Maidan, New Delhi, under the slogan Chhatra Maha Andolan. The protests followed concerns raised about alleged irregularities associated with SSC (Staff Selection Commission) examinations. Protestors were agitated about issues including incorrect question paper, anomalies with answer keys, delayed merit list, and opaque grievance redressals caused the protestors to demand systemic reforms and accountability.
A police statement stated police were forced to intervene because the pre-agreed duration for the protest had exceeded. About 100 protestors refused repeated requests to leave, which led police to detain 44 while the rest of the protestors dispersed.
Subheading: Instrument of Rahul Gandhi
On the very day Rahul Gandhi took to X to call it a cowardly, disgraceful act, he noted that the demonstrators – teachers and SSC candidates – were peaceful and demanding a perfectly legitimate thing – employment and justice. In Hindi, he wrote:
“Ramlila Maidan mein Germania protest kar rahe SSC abhyarthi aur teachers par barbar lathicharge – yeh sirf sharmnaak nahi, balki ek darpok sarkar ki pehchaan hai. Yuvaon ne sirf apna haq maanga tha – rozgaar aur nyay.”
Subheading: Broader Implications
What happened at Ramlila Maidan has reignited dialogue about transparency in recruitment processes. The protesters have made the case that the combination of a history of failures on the part of the administration and ongoing failures to provide timely grievance resolution has led to a loss of trust in the SSC exam process, and they want robust accountability and timely resolution of complaints about exams and further clarity about merit lists and aspects of question papers.
