The Congress on Monday slammed what it called “the brutal lathi charge by the Modi government's puppet police on students protesting against rigging in SSC exams at Delhi's Ramleela Maidan” on Sunday, with its top brass – Rahul Gandhi, sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and party president Mallikarjun Kharge speaking out strongly.

“The brutal lathi charge on SSC aspirants and teachers peacefully protesting in Ramleela Maidan - not just shameful, but the hallmark of a cowardly government,” Rahul wrote on X (formerly Twitter) in Hindi.

“The youth had only demanded their rights - employment and justice. What did they get? Lathis. It's clear - the Modi government neither cares about the country's youth nor their future. Why? This government didn't come to power on the votes of the people, but by stealing votes. First, they'll steal votes. Then, they'll steal exams. Then, they'll steal jobs. Then, they'll crush both your rights and your voice!

“Youth, farmers, the poor, Dalits, and minorities - they don't need your vote, so your demands will never be their priority,” he alleged. “Now is the time - not to fear, but to stand firm and fight back.”

His sister, Wayanad MP Priyanka, wrote: “The use of police force against SSC students protesting at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan is inhuman and shameful.

“In every exam, there is rigging; in every recruitment, there is a scam, and paper leaks have left the youth of the entire country tormented. In BJP rule, the rampant corruption in recruitment processes and examinations is ruining the future of the youth. Instead of fixing it and listening to the youth, raining lathis on them is unfortunate. Instead of being cruel to the students, their concerns should be heard,” she wrote, also in Hindi.

“Stealing the future of the country's youth has become a habit of the Modi government,” Kharge wrote. “The brutal lathi charge by the Modi government's puppet police on students protesting against rigging in SSC exams at Delhi's Ramleela Maidan is highly condemnable.”

Thousands of students and teachers gathered at the ground under the banner of the Chhatra Maha Andolan to protest against what they called rampant mismanagement in the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) exams to recruit for government and subordinate offices and agencies.

The protesters allege the new vendor holding the exams – which replaced TCS – is not competent to hold large-scale exams. The cite abrupt exam cancellations, server crashes, biometric failures, and exam centers allocated 400-600 kilometres from students’ homes,

When over 100 protesters refused to disperse after the 5pm deadline on Sunday, Delhi police reportedly detained 44 aspirants amid allegations of a lathi charge and forcible removal. Videos circulating on X showed students fleeing as police cleared the grounds. Their veracity could not be checked.

“Over the past 11 years, the BJP has handed over the journey of our youth from recruitment exams to getting jobs to paper leak mafias,” Kharge wrote. “BJP-RSS has destroyed the education system. The youth of the country are enraged. Now the youth of the country will not tolerate this injustice!”