'Why students forced to live in unsafe PGs': Rahul slams Modi govt over hostel crisis

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday hit out at the Modi government over the issue of hostel facilities for students asking why they are "forced to live in unsafe PGs" and also sought to know the status of the investigation into the Satya Niketan building collapse incident.

In a social media post, Gandhi shared pictures from the interaction he had on Saturday in Indore with the family of a student from Madhya Pradesh who died in the Satya Niketan building collapse in Delhi on September 6, in which seven people, including students, were killed.

Among those killed was 21-year-old Arpit Jaj, a native of Dewas in Madhya Pradesh. Gandhi invited Jaj's family on stage during his youth outreach programme 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' in Indore on Saturday.

In his post in Hindi on X on Sunday, the Congress leader said, "'What was that innocent soul's fault?' This is the question being asked, with tear-filled eyes, by the family that lost their son, Arpit Jaj, in the Satya Niketan tragedy."

Had there been good, safe hostels, they would not have been forced to house their child in such a dangerous place, the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha said.

And had safety standards truly been adhered to, perhaps this tragedy, one that neither the students nor their parents could have ever imagined, would never have occurred, he said.

The system's irresponsibility and corruption have snuffed out lives full of dreams and devastated families filled with hope, Gandhi alleged.

"Like the rest of the country, Arpit's family is demanding accountability. They want responsibility to be fixed regarding the lives of students, ensuring that no other parent has to endure the pain of losing a child in this manner," he said.

"I have a direct question for the system: Why aren't new, safe hostels being built? Why are students forced to live in unsafe PGs? What is the status of the investigation into the Satya Niketan incident?" Gandhi said.

Earlier in the day, he also flagged the issue of lack of hostels for female students and sought answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the problem being faced by them.

Gandhi cited the remarks by a female student during his 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' event in Indore to corner the government.

"'The government has money to light diyas - why not for our hostels?' This question was asked of me yesterday by a female student in Indore. She came to the city from a village to study," he said recalling the interaction.

"There's no hostel, so she has to stay in a PG. Just to stay safe, lakhs are spent. The worry of monthly rent, and the fear of becoming homeless - she has to study amidst all this," Gandhi said in his post in Hindi.

Many girls drop out of their studies for this very reason - because there's no place to live, he said.

"And what about the housing allowance? It doesn't increase with inflation, and on top of that, it falls prey to corruption. Narendra Modi ji - Do you have any answer to that little girl's question?" the former Congress chief asked.

Tagging Gandhi's post, Congress' media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said, "PR events. Designer clothes. Luxury cars. Aircraft. Skincare. Modi has money for everything except the education of India's youth."

"No adequate infrastructure. No quality teachers. No training. No hostels. No jobs. At this point, the authenticity of his degree is almost irrelevant. His contempt for education explains how 'educated' he is," he said.

Gandhi on Saturday had alleged that a "rotten system", especially in education, had captured the country and did not want students to ask questions, instead wanting "andhbhakts" -- a term commonly used by critics of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his supporters -- to spread its narrative and hatred.

The remarks came at the fifth edition of 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' in Indore, a BJP stronghold, where Gandhi spoke on the theme 'system versus students' and interacted with Gen Z and other young participants on education, recruitment and employment issues.

"The system is afraid of students because students ask questions. The system does not want students; it wants 'andhbhakts'," Gandhi had said in Indore.

He said students were curious, questioned authority and sought answers about the functioning of institutions, recruitment, examinations and opportunities, while "andhbhakts" lacked these qualities and instead spread hatred.

Gandhi alleged that the system had several layers and targeted Prime Minister Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and industrialists Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani, alleging that they exercised control over different aspects of the country's political, institutional and economic life.

Students posed a challenge to this system because they remained curious and questioned what was happening around them, he had said.