'Treating students like terrorists': Priyanka Gandhi attacks Centre over lathicharge, tear gas and pellet guns on anti-NEET protesters

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday tore into the Narendra Modi government over the crackdown on anti-NEET protesters, accusing it of treating students like terrorists saying every baton blow had damaged the government's credibility more than it hurt the students.

Taking a direct swipe at Prime Minister Modi's social media outreach after the protests, Priyanka said videos shot from different camera angles would not help him connect with Gen Z. "If the prime minister wants to win over Gen Z, he must change his dil ka angle, not the angle of cameras," she said, adding that today's youth can distinguish truth from political messaging.

Participating in the Lok Sabha debate on the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, the Congress leader accused the government of suppressing students instead of addressing their grievances.


"Why was it necessary to fire tear gas, rain lathis, humiliate young girls by tearing their clothes, and fire pellet guns and AK-47s at the country's youth? Are they terrorists," she asked.

She said students had taken to the streets seeking justice, not charity, and asserted that they could be removed from the roads but not their questions.

"Every lathi blow on a student hurt the government's prestige more than the backs of the students," she said, demanding that both Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah explain who authorised the use of pellet guns.

Priyanka dismissed the government's proposal to set up fast-track courts for paper leak cases, saying such courts already had a poor record.