Rahul Gandhi Accused of Turning Student Echo Event into Election Campaign

PATNA, August 8 — Rahul Gandhi's recent stop in Prayagraj for the "Students' Echo" rally was labelled a political exercise by senior Bihar NDA figures, who said the Congress leader was exploiting a student platform to gear up for power.

Bihar BJP chief Sanjay Sarawgi argued that while Jharkhand's students remain seated in protest over a suspected JPSC recruitment scam, Gandhi was touring another state. He suggested that the Jharkhand chief minister should commission a CBI probe into the alleged exam manipulation.

Sarawgi claimed that the Congress routinely hides behind student activism to sanitise its image, pointing to past paper‑leak scandals that never resulted in legislation from the party. "The anti‑leak law was introduced by the present government, not by the Congress," he said.

Ram Kripal Yadav, a minister in the Bihar government, said, "Gandhi is not at a student rally; he is at a rally to regain power. His priority is to secure a return to office, not to resolve student grievances." He added that both the Yogi‑led Uttar Pradesh government and the Modi‑led central government are attentive to youth issues.

Yadav also warned that the Jharkhand student agitation reflects deep‑seated dissatisfaction, and that the state government must address it seriously or face consequences. JD(U) MLA Shyam Rajak concluded that the Congress has historically opposed youth movements across various regions and therefore cannot be counted on by the country's young population.