New Delhi, August 8, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor’s remarks on student issues and the party’s public outreach have triggered a political debate, with the BJP backing his assessment while Congress leaders defended Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s focus on systemic reforms.
The discussion followed Tharoor’s comments that several issues highlighted by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) during recent student protests had already been raised by Rahul Gandhi through the ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ (Voice of Students) campaign.
Speaking at the 15th anniversary celebrations of the India’s International Movement to Unite Nations (IIMUN) in Mumbai, Tharoor said the Congress and Gandhi had taken up concerns similar to those that later became central to the CJP-led agitation.
“Interestingly, the issues taken up by the CJP were something my party took up, Rahul Gandhi took up with ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’,” Tharoor said.
However, he acknowledged that the Congress campaign did not generate a comparable public response and said the party needed to better understand public sentiment.
Bihar Minister Ram Kripal Yadav endorsed Tharoor’s remarks, describing him as an intellectual who “speaks the truth”. He argued that the Congress had struggled to retain public trust and had been pushed to the margins of politics.
CPI MP P. Sandosh Kumar, however, dismissed the comments, saying student protests had already achieved their objectives. He said the CPI had also raised concerns over examination paper leaks and demanded the resignation of then Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Congress leader Husain Dalwai said party leaders needed to strengthen their connection with the public, while Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat defended Gandhi’s approach.
Bhagat said Gandhi had consistently raised issues concerning students, including examination paper leaks and reforms in the examination system, and was not approaching them from the perspective of political gains.
“Rahul Gandhi is not looking at this from the perspective of political gain or loss; he is committed to bringing systemic reforms,” Bhagat said.
The exchange has brought renewed attention to the political debate over student concerns, public outreach and the effectiveness of opposition campaigns.
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