Congress hails 'youth power' but faces CJP challenge

New Delhi: Congress and other Opposition parties on Saturday described Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation as a major victory for "youth power" and the Modi government's "surrender". But at the same time, they found themselves on the margins as the government and CJP directly reached a settlement on students' demands.

As CJP celebrated at Jantar Mantar, a venue consciously avoided by Congress leadership, including Gandhis, while holding separate protests, Rahul Gandhi told journalists that it was "a victory of the youth" and that "Congress Party's idea was to wholeheartedly support the protest". He said message for Modi government was that it could not continue to run India the way it has been running. Gandhi added that "students have two more demands, which we must not forget". "Strict action must be taken against those who brutalised students and hold Amit Shah responsible for violence inflicted on students. Secondly, Modi must apologise to all the students of the country. Our students' programme will continue. We have long-standing issues, and we will keep raising them," he said.