'Bid to push RSS agenda': Rahul slams govt over UGC regulations

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday (February 6) alleged the UGC’s draft regulations on the appointment of teachers and academic staff in universities and colleges was an attempt to push the agenda of the RSS that aimed to achieve its idea of imposing “one history, one tradition, one language” on the country.

Speaking at a protest against the draft University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations organised by the DMK in Delhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said the RSS’ aim was the eradication of all other histories, cultures and traditions of the country.

Also read: UGC draft rules: After non-BJP-ruled states, NDA ally JD(U) sees red

Attack on Constitution

“That is its starting point and that is what it wants to achieve. It attacks the Constitution because it wants to achieve one idea which is its idea -- one history, one tradition, one language -- on this country,” the former Congress chief said.

“What they are doing with the education system of different states is just another attempt to push its agenda,” Rahul said.

“Each state has its traditions, history, language and that is why I keep saying that, in the Constitution, India is called a 'Union of States', that means all these histories, traditions, languages come together to make India the Union of States and so that is how we have to think about it,” he said.

“We have to respect all the languages, all the cultures, all the traditions, all the histories and we have to understand where they are coming from,” he said.

The Tamil people have their history, language, traditions, and they have had their struggles, he said. “Doing this is an insult to the Tamil people and also to all other states where the RSS is trying to impose its hegemony,” he said of the UGC's draft regulations.

‘Don’t support NEP’

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also hit out at the BJP-RSS, alleging that they wanted to take over all the power of state governments.

“They want to make politicians servants of industrialists. We can never support the new education policy… I am supporting all the students here and the decision that you have taken. I am against the NEP (National Education Policy). I am against the BJP,” he said.

Demand for rollback

The Congress has termed the draft UGC regulations on the appointment of teachers and academic staff in universities and colleges “draconian and anti-Constitution”, and demanded that those be immediately withdrawn.

Also read: UDF urges Kerala Assembly to pass resolution against UGC draft norms

Hitting out at the Centre over the draft regulations, the Congress on Wednesday said the justification that the rules had been updated for compliance with NEP, 2020, did not withstand scrutiny and must be rolled back.

(With agency inputs)