Rahul Gandhi Slams Police Action on SSC Aspirants’ Protest at Ramlila Maidan, Calls Govt “Scared of Youth”

The hashtags #SSCProtest, #SSCProtest2025, #SSCReforms trended across X (formerly Twitter), with thousands of students and activists sharing videos and eyewitness accounts.

The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) protest at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan has snowballed into a major political flashpoint with opposition parties joining in. After reports of police lathicharge and detention of aspirants, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has strongly condemned the Modi government, calling it “a cowardly regime that fears the voice of young Indians.”

Rahul Gandhi: “Modi Govt Doesn’t Care About Youth”

Rahul Gandhi took to X (formerly Twitter) to slam the government, saying: “रामलीला मैदान में शांतिपूर्ण प्रदर्शन कर रहे SSC अभ्यर्थियों और शिक्षकों पर बर्बर लाठीचार्ज - शर्मनाक ही नहीं, एक डरपोक सरकार की पहचान है। युवाओं ने सिर्फ़ अपना हक़ मांगा था - रोज़गार और न्याय। मिली क्या? लाठियां।” 

The Congress leader alleged that instead of addressing the genuine concerns of young job seekers, the government chose to suppress them through police action.

Protest Over SSC Exam Irregularities Turns Violent

Hundreds of SSC aspirants, along with teachers and supporters, assembled at Ramlila Maidan on Sunday to protest against alleged exam irregularities, paper leaks, and delays in recruitment. Students claim that repeated malpractices have destroyed their faith in the recruitment process.

While the protest began peacefully, eyewitnesses reported that police used force to disperse demonstrators. Videos circulating online showed students being lathicharged, triggering widespread outrage.

Opposition Parties Join In Support

Rahul Gandhi’s statement was echoed by other opposition leaders. Indira Meena wrote on X: “हर परीक्षा में धांधली, हर भर्ती में घोटाला और पेपर लीक से पूरे देश के युवा त्रस्त हैं। भाजपा राज में भर्ती प्रक्रियाओं और परीक्षाओं में व्याप्त भ्रष्टाचार युवाओं का भविष्य बर्बाद कर रहा है।” Nafis Ahmad added: “आखिर कबतक छात्रों के आवाजों को दबाया जाएगा… सरकार जितना ध्यान लाठी चार्ज पर दे रही अगर इतना ध्यान छात्रों की समस्याओं को हल करने में देती तो ऐसे प्रोटेस्ट नहीं होते।”

The political backing has amplified the voice of students, putting further pressure on the government to respond.

SSC Aspirants Demand for Transparency and Reforms

The protesting SSC aspirants have listed key demands:

Strict action against exam paper leaks

A transparent, corruption-free recruitment process

Timely declaration of results and recruitment notifications

Independent investigation into recent allegations of irregularities

Many aspirants argue that their years of preparation are being wasted due to the systemic failures in recruitment.

Growing Social Media Momentum

The hashtags #SSCProtest, #SSCProtest2025, #SSCReforms trended across X (formerly Twitter), with thousands of students and activists sharing videos and eyewitness accounts. Several posts alleged that peaceful students were dragged and beaten during the lathicharge, while others appealed to the judiciary to take cognizance of the issue.

The SSC exam protest, initially seen as a student agitation, is rapidly gaining political traction. With Rahul Gandhi, Congress leaders, and other opposition parties backing the aspirants, the pressure on the government is expected to mount.

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