Delhi student crackdown marks beginning of BJP Govt's political decline: Maderna
Bhalla accuses BJP of weakening democracy, ignoring youth and poor
29/07/2026
Jammu, July 29 (KIP)- Launching a scathing attack on the BJP-led Central Government, senior Congress leaders on Wednesday accused it of systematically undermining democratic institutions, suppressing the voice of political opponents, and pushing the country's youth into uncertainty through unemployment, paper leaks and alleged institutional manipulation.
The allegations were made during a one-day meeting of the Jammu Urban District Congress Committee, which was addressed by AICC Secretary and Co-Incharge for Jammu and Kashmir Affairs Ms. Divya Mahipal Maderna, former MLA from Rajasthan. The meeting was also addressed by Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) Working President and former Minister Raman Bhalla, former Minister Yogesh Sawhney, besides several senior party leaders. Those who also addressed the gathering included Ved Mahajan, Manmohan Singh, Satish Sharma, Amrit Bali, Sohit Sharma, Rajesh Sharma and Surinder Kumar.
Addressing party workers, Ms. Divya Mahipal Maderna alleged that the BJP government had weakened every constitutional institution that once safeguarded democracy and accountability. She said the ruling dispensation had adopted a politics of intimidation by silencing opposition voices, targeting dissenters through investigative agencies and shrinking democratic space. "A government that fears questions can never strengthen democracy," she asserted, urging Congress workers to intensify their outreach among the people.
Maderna said the country's youth had become the biggest victims of the BJP's "failed governance model". She alleged that repeated leakage of examination papers, including the NEET examination, had shattered the aspirations of lakhs of students who had spent years preparing for competitive examinations. Instead of creating employment opportunities and ensuring transparent recruitment, the government had pushed young people towards frustration and uncertainty, she said.
The AICC Secretary further alleged that while the BJP projected itself as the custodian of faith, serious allegations regarding irregularities in donations received for the construction of the Shri Ram Temple at Ayodhya had raised disturbing questions. She also accused the BJP of attempting to capture educational institutions and convert them into centres of ideological propaganda rather than institutions of learning.
Referring to the police action against peacefully protesting students in Delhi on July 20, Maderna said the brutal use of force had exposed the government's intolerance towards democratic dissent and marked the beginning of the BJP government's political decline.
“The countdown of the BJP government at the Centre has begun because the youth of the country have realised that their future has been sacrificed for political propaganda,” she remarked.
Speaking on the occasion, JKPCC Working President Raman Bhalla accused the BJP government of bulldozing democratic institutions and eroding the independence of constitutional bodies for political gains. He alleged that Parliament was being reduced to a mere formality, federal principles were being weakened and opposition parties were deliberately denied opportunities to raise issues affecting the common people.
Bhalla said unprecedented inflation had made life miserable for every household in the country. Prices of essential commodities, LPG cylinders, fuel, medicines and other necessities had risen sharply, placing an unbearable financial burden on middle-class and poor families. He said despite tall claims of economic progress, unemployment had reached alarming levels, leaving educated youth with little hope of securing dignified employment.
The senior Congress leader further alleged that the BJP government had failed to protect the interests of students and job seekers. Frequent recruitment irregularities, delayed examinations and repeated paper leak scandals had badly damaged the credibility of public institutions.
Referring to the July 20 police action against protesting students in Delhi, Bhalla said the incident had exposed the government's authoritarian mindset. "Instead of listening to the genuine concerns of students, the government chose to respond with force. This has further alienated the youth, and the political countdown of the BJP government has begun," he said, urging Congress workers to strengthen the party at the grassroots and prepare for future electoral battles.
Former Minister Yogesh Sawhney said the BJP had failed on every major promise made to the people and was now attempting to divert public attention from unemployment, inflation, corruption allegations and growing public dissatisfaction. He said the youth of the country deserved transparent examinations, quality education, employment opportunities and democratic freedoms, but were instead facing uncertainty, fear and repression. He called upon Congress workers to remain united and take the party's message to every household.
The meeting concluded with party leaders calling upon workers to strengthen the Congress organisation at the grassroots level and intensify the struggle against what they described as the anti-people and anti-democratic policies of the BJP-led government at the Centre.