Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Andhbhakt’ Attack, Modi Mimicry Turn Student Event Into Political Showdown
Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ in Indore turned into a multi-layered political confrontation on Saturday, as the Leader of Opposition attacked what he called a powerful “system” that fears questioning students, heard complaints about jobs and examinations, met the family of a student killed in Delhi and later joined a stage act mimicking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s public style.
Speaking at the fifth edition of the student outreach programme, Gandhi said, “The system is afraid of students because students ask questions. The system does not want students; it wants ‘andhbhakts’.” He alleged that the system had several layers and named Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and industrialists Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani, alleging influence over political, institutional and economic spheres. These were Gandhi’s political allegations.
Students then raised concrete concerns over government recruitment, MPPSC, paper leaks, delayed appointments, OBC-quota litigation and inadequate hostels. A Rajgarh student, Sapna Gurjar, raised the issue of appointments being held up amid the dispute over the OBC quota, while teacher-job aspirants sought support for their ongoing protest. Gandhi offered to join the agitation.
Gandhi claimed that around 10 lakh teacher posts were vacant nationwide and that 1.5 crore students had been deprived of scholarships over the past decade. He also claimed that education’s share of the Union Budget had fallen from 4.6% in 2014 to 2.6%. These figures were presented by Gandhi and should be treated as his claims.
He also met the family of Arpit Jaj, a Dewas student who died in the September 6 Satya Niketan building collapse in Delhi. The family raised concerns about student safety and accommodation, allowing Gandhi to connect the tragedy with the shortage of affordable hostels and wider education infrastructure.
The event then took an unexpected turn when comedian Pulkit Mani performed a Modi impersonation. He mimicked Modi’s “my friend” greetings, diplomatic hugs, mannerisms with foreign leaders and even his coin tricks with children. Gandhi laughed, played along and responded, “I’m fine, how are you, Modi ji?” He later used the act to argue that the Prime Minister’s responsibility is to protect India, not merely maintain friendships.
The skit triggered a fresh BJP-Congress clash, after references to Modi’s late mother and an elderly woman drew BJP criticism.
The political tension had begun before the programme itself. After the original Nehru Stadium venue was denied, Congress shifted the event to an IDA ground near Regional Park after paying ₹10.08 lakh for its use. Police subsequently imposed 31 security conditions, citing crowd control, emergency arrangements and the security lessons of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination.