Parents Dragged by Police During Tribute for IIT Bombay Student Sparks Outrage
Incident at IIT Bombay leads to criticism of the government as parents are dragged by police during a memorial for their son.
New Delhi, October 18 (Daily Kiran) : A recent incident at IIT Bombay has ignited controversy after police dragged the grieving parents of a deceased student, Sahil Wakode, during a memorial service. Anish Gawande, a leader from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), condemned the event as a disgraceful day for Maharashtra and accused the Devendra Fadnavis-led government of neglecting both youth and mourning families.
Gawande expressed his outrage over the treatment of Sahil’s parents, who were attempting to honor their son’s memory. He stated, “It is shameful that Mumbai police chose to drag them on the streets while they were mourning.” He criticized the government for showing indifference toward the concerns of young people and grieving parents.
Citing data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Gawande highlighted a troubling trend: over the past two decades, 14,500 students have taken their own lives, including 171 from IITs. He questioned whether there is still room for justice in today’s society, emphasizing that young people are being mistreated on the very land of social reformers like Shahaji, Phule, and Ambedkar.
“This is a dark day for Maharashtra and a day of shame for the BJP government,” Gawande declared, urging coalition partners to clarify their stance on the police’s actions.
In response to remarks by Union Minister Kiren Rijiju regarding a change in power, Gawande agreed, asserting that the nation does not need models from Bangladesh or France but rather should follow the path laid out by Mahatma Gandhi.
He pointed out that political figures like Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar are silent on the BJP’s actions, suggesting that soon, their allies will also denounce the violence faced by citizens in the streets. “The humiliating treatment of today’s youth will not be tolerated,” he warned.
Gawande further claimed that there is an ongoing war against public education in India, citing recent incidents where students at the Satyajit Ray Film Institute faced violence, and students at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai were jailed for organizing a memorial lecture. He highlighted ongoing hunger strikes at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Jamia Millia Islamia due to inadequate facilities and lack of student representation.
Responding to BJP National President Nitin Naveen’s comments about foreign “toolkits,” Gawande stressed that such accusations will only fuel public anger. “When police beat people and videos emerge, dismissing them as fake news from Pakistan will not suffice,” he concluded.
