Rahul Gandhi slams RSS: ‘No one will get jobs if education system falls under its control’

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi said on Monday that the country will be destroyed if the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) takes full control of the education system.

The Rae Bareli Member of Parliament (MP) said the INDIA bloc constituents may have slight differences in their ideologies and policies, but they can never compromise on the education system of the country.

"One organisation wants to destroy the future and the education system of the country. The name of that organisation is the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. If the education system goes into their hands, which is actually happening slowly, this country will be destroyed. No one will get jobs and the country will be finished," Gandhi said at a protest organised by affiliate student organisations of the INDIA bloc against the National Education Policy (NEP).

Gandhi's comments come amid a war of words between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-ruled Tamil Nadu over the three-language policy in the NEP. "Students' organisations must tell students that the vice-chancellors of Indian universities are dominated by the RSS. In the coming time, state universities' VCs will be appointed on the recommendation of the RSS. We have to stop this," he said at the protest held at Jantar Mantar.

The RSS is the ideological mentor of the BJP.

Gandhi recalled that last week Prime Minister Narendra Modi made remarks on the Maha Kumbh in Parliament and asserted that the PM should have also spoken about unemployment and inflation.

"The prime minister does not speak a word about unemployment, inflation and education system. Their model is to hand over institutions to the RSS," Gandhi said.

To the agitators, Gandhi said, "You are students of the INDIA bloc, there may be some differences in our ideologies and policies but we can never compromise on the education system of the country. We will fight this fight together and push back the RSS."

Last month, Gandhi participated in a protest against the draft University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations organised by the DMK here.

Gandhi alleged that the UGC's draft regulations on the appointment of teachers and academic staff in universities and colleges were an attempt to promote the RSS agenda, which aims to impose "one history, one tradition, one language" on the country.