Rahul Gandhi yet to meet Wangchuk: 'Onus is on govt, not opposition' | Capital Beat

Even as activist Sonam Wangchuk's hunger strike in support of educational reforms entered its 19th day on Thursday (July 16), a political question which has gained prominence is why Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi is yet to visit Jantar Mantar in New Delhi and express solidarity with the protesters.

Members of many other Opposition parties, including the Left, have made a physical appearance alongside Wangchuk, but Rahul's absence seems to have made a bigger headline. However, Puneet Nicholas Yadav, political editor at The Federal things that it is the government which needs to meet the protesters, more than the opposition.

"The onus is not on the opposition. That is where the whole argument as to why Rahul Gandhi hasn't come is very misplaced. It is the government which is at fault here, not the opposition or Rahul," he said during a panel discussion on Capital Beat, which also featured senior journalist and political commentator TK Rajalakshmi and author and policy expert associated with the Congress' foreign affairs department, Pushparaj Deshpande.

Also read: 'Wangchuk's health matters, but movement needs to go national' | Capital Beat

Yadav also said that some leaders of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which is holding the protests and Wangchuk's hunger strike is part of them, have made undesirable remarks about Rahul in the past and if it today expects the Congress leader to stand by them, they should have the "moral courage" to say that they were wrong then. The journalist also said bluntly that Wangchuk's personality cult was overshadowing the protest's actual goal.

The discussion opened with this anchor asking whether it was fair to expect Rahul to personally endorse every protest, especially while he was occupied with Congress's ongoing 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' campaign on education issues. Yadav said the focus on Rahul's absence reflected expectations from the opposition leader, but argued Congress's scepticism stemmed from a deeper question: whether support should flow only one way.

Also read: Why Congress has avoided CJP protest despite focus veering to Wangchuk’s survival

If the Congress is expected to back every civil society protest, he said, such movements should reciprocate by supporting the party's own campaigns on similar issues. He noted Rahul's campaign had consistently demanded education-sector accountability, including exam system reforms and calls for Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation. Reducing the debate to Rahul's physical presence at Jantar Mantar, he argued, diluted the larger issue of systemic reform, questioning whether the minister's resignation alone would fix India's exam system.

Rajalakshmi, who did not see much wrong with Wangchuk's protest, noted that Congress leaders like Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Shashi Tharoor had already backed him publicly. She argued that a visit by Rahul or another senior leader would signal solidarity on education reforms, not endorse the fast itself, and questioned why protesters needed to publicly appeal for his presence when support was already voluntary. Deshpande called the protest morally admirable but questioned whether hunger strikes still work against the Narendra Modi government.

Does satyagraha still work?

Deshpande called himself a strong believer in satyagraha and civil disobedience but questioned whether such methods could still push the Centre to change course. Citing years of activism on RTI dilution, labour reforms, and MGNREGA changes, he noted many sustained protests had failed to shift government policy, and argued Jantar Mantar demonstrations needed a broader nationwide campaign reaching India's districts and villages.

Also read: Congress urges Wangchuk to end fast, vows to continue push for Pradhan's resignation

Agreeing with Yadav's concern over personality cult overshadowing the protest, Rajalakshmi said the debate should avoid both glorifying and criticising Wangchuk, noting his presence had boosted visibility, though the movement needed to become a wider national conversation.

Searching for exit route?

The discussion closed on whether repeated appeals to Rahul reflected the CJP seeking a political exit from a protest that had failed to draw government engagement. Deshpande said this couldn't be ruled out, arguing civil disobedience alone was unlikely to sway the Modi government, citing G D Agarwal's fatal fast for the River Ganga as a similar failure. He, however, credited AISA, SFI, and allied groups for sustaining the protest, adding, "If Rahul Gandhi is doing organisational work across the country while others are sustaining the protest at Jantar Mantar, both efforts strengthen the same cause."