Rahul Gandhi Heads to Jantar Mantar | To Address Media at 4 PM After Meeting Protesters | News18

[00:00:00]LOP Rahul Gandhi is on Jantaar Mantar is what we're learning the leader of opposition will be addressing a press conference remember at 4 p.m. at Indra Bhavan and right now as we speak he's on jantaar manta going across to Palavi Gosh who joins us with more details just to quickly recap on what's happening inside parliament and outside parliament immediately it is very clear that Rahul Gandhi has decided to up his ante and therefore he's going to want to a press conference at 4 p.m. where he's going to outline whatever happened yesterday and how the government remains stubborn and adamant as far as the entire need paper leak issue is concerned. Also, even as we speak, party is telling us that he's on his way to meet Jantaar Mata. The difference over here is that he's not going to show any support for the CJP. He's going to show a support as far as the students are concerned, as far as the protesters are concerned. But back over here in parliament the picture seems little confusing and pristine because we spoke to top sources both within the Sabati party as well as within the Congress party. I did ask the Congress leader he told me specifically that there's >> or those are the reactions coming in. In the meanwhile, Paloi was just trying to break down details of what happens in the next few hours. Speaking of the opposition strategy, including that of the Congress as is Malikar Jun Kag has made it amply clear and Raja Sabha that they're not going to ensure allow any sort of a discussion around the need paper league uh in the parliament unless and until Dhindra Pradhan resigns.

[00:01:36]That's number one. And now Rahul Gandhi taking that passage forward. He's going to be in Jar Mantar currently on ru Jantar Mantar. Yesterday remember this entire campaign was being led by Rahul Gandhi. Several opposition leaders alongside Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Vadra were camping outside several local Yanmar. Yes, Palvi. Go ahead.

[00:01:55]>> Okay, I'm just going to quickly recap because I have to tell you pristine there's a lot of activity which is happening inside parliament. So please bear with us for this. We have been talking to multiple voices within the Samadwadi party and the Congress. The government is sources have told us that they are looking at the situation because they're also seeing a difference of views as far as opposition is concerned by the Congress and all of them had agreed to an insistence on adjournment first and then a discussion.

[00:02:20]The Congress is the one which is standing up and specifically saying that education minister must resign. That's not what is coming in from the rest of opposition parties. Akillesh Yadav has conveyed that for us the plight of the student protesters are the first priority. We need to raise the fact that they were being attacked. what are the complaints that they are making and this is only possible if the discussion begins and during the course of the discussion we can always ask for the resignation of the education minister that seems to be little shift Christine from the official line of Mr. KG as well as of Casey Benu Gopal. But of course on record the Congress says that there's no difference between us and the Samatwadi party.

[00:02:56]>> Okay. So Rahul Gandhi in the next few uh minutes is also going to possibly now come in on weigh in on what he makes of what's happened the last 24 hours since he was seen at 7 local staging a protest outside prime minister's official residence. Now it's being heavily objected to by the BJP Pali. They continue to say that you're mixing the two issues. The Congress for its own political gains is politicizing a student's protest. They're not letting it be as organic as it was all through the junar mantra phase. So very quickly, how is the Congress responding to that charge?

[00:03:27]>> Very quickly, Christine, what the government is making the point is that the entire issue is now becoming political. It's about political oneupmanship. It is no longer about the students. And tactically speaking, the BJP will try to have that edge over the entire issue. Look at the multiple voices. No, I don't think it's just a coincidence that they decide to go and meet the CJP representatives and here I'm talking about the government. The messaging from the government is very clear that we see the CJP as being the representative of the protesting students and not so much Rahul Gandhi.

[00:03:57]Rahul Gandhi goes to Jantaar Mantar but he's going to make it more about students and not about CJP because you know the CJP is being dismissed talk by Congress leaders as being another arm of the Amadi party. We already reported about ARC versus the Congress. That is something we're talking about. From inside parliament, I can see a little bit of difference of opinion between the Samani party and the Congress party.

[00:04:18]Obviously, politically speaking, this gives an edge to the BJP to build up a counter offensive against the Congress and Rahul Gandhi.

[00:04:25]>> You know, for all those students who've got nothing to do with the CJP, nothing to do with the Congress, they're going to be wondering who's speaking for us at the moment, which is what the BJP is also pointing to increasingly. By the way, the other problem is and the question being asked to Rahul Gandhi is why were why were none of the Congress leaders seen sitting next to these student protesters at Jantaar Mantar. If that was the concern that the Congress was essentially trying to rake, how is the Congress responding to that? Well, Christine, believe it or not, many within the Congress party are also asking this question that we lost some momentum because for a good 20 to 21 days despite the fact that Rahul Gandhi initiated this paper leak issue by Chhatro Ki, he goes away on a holiday for 20 to 21 days and the Congress party was left very clueless as how to deal with the entire issue and the way they dealt with it is not the way ideally the Congress party politically would have.

[00:05:15]It is only after Rahul Gandhi came back there was a realization that we've lost the momentum. We've given that space to say the CJP. So what you saw yesterday being played out was essentially an attempt being made by Rahul Gani to reclaim that lost ground by the Congress party to reclaim that lost ground.

[00:05:31]Yesterday Christine I got multiple voices from the protest site and all of them said to at least we've reached but you know in terms of sheer optics when you and I are going to discuss this when students are going to talk about it what will they say in that critical 20 to 21 days who was by their side the CJP and not the Congress >> you know the visuals that were flashing on our screens are visuals of a protest similar protest being staged in Patna Palvi and this is the sentiment pretty much across the country we're seeing a crackdown as well partially because there is a law and order concern attached to it. But Palvi, speaking of Rahul Gandhi's strategy, yes, he was extremely vocal on social media platforms as well. He was seen interacting with several students, young students. Uh suddenly he was the voice of uh the youth in trying to raise issues concerning students and that did dial down a little. It uh it wasn't as bright a campaign as as you rightly pointed out. Uh what about the other faces that have made it to Jantaar Want while supporting the CJP? because some of these students seem to have accepted the fact that only CJP at the moment can be taking their cause forward. But some internal rifts within the CJP also seem to be exploding now.

[00:06:40]>> Yes, that seems to be exploding and that suits the BJP also because when the government representative starts negotiating and speaking to them, this is something they'll take advantage of.

[00:06:49]I remember the days of the Ana Hazari movement, the rift which emerged in IA only helped the then government to kind of carry on the negotiations and their point of view. But over here just look at the differences within the opposition. Unlike the congress where Rahul Gandhi did not go, you had a a kilh yadav you had a dimple yadav all of them going not once but a couple of times going through jantaar mantra showing their support as far as the students are concerned. See the difference over here what we have to make and also understand politically is the difference between the CJP and is the difference between the students protesting. That is what the difference CJP will obviously not want to highlight but that's the difference which say a congress or say a sadwadi party would want to highlight and that is why I would say a killesh yada was more astute that he decided to go to jantaar manta dimple yada was sent to janta manta but you only had a paw pa going you didn't have a round gandhi going to janta manta because the congress was very wary about will it send out a message that we are supporting the cjp >> okay uh palvi we'll come back to you in