Govt resorted to force instead of dialogue with Sonam Wangchuk, alleges Sachin Pilot

Jaipur, July 18 (IANS): Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Saturday accused the Centre of failing to engage in dialogue with activist Sonam Wangchuk and instead resorting to force, saying the government should have addressed his concerns through discussions rather than removing him during a peaceful hunger strike.

Addressing the media in Tonk, Pilot said it was surprising that the government was neither willing to hold discussions with Wangchuk nor prepared to consider his demands, despite the Parliament session being scheduled to begin on July 20.

He claimed Wangchuk had intended to march to Parliament to press his demands, which, according to him, had created panic within the government.

Pilot alleged that Wangchuk's hunger strike had received widespread public support, particularly among the youth, and said the Congress party and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi were seeking answers from the government while demanding the resignation of the Union Education Minister.

"The government should have initiated dialogue instead of forcibly removing a person who was observing a peaceful hunger strike," Pilot said.

He alleged that the government's response reflected an unwillingness to engage with public concerns and demonstrated a defensive approach.

He further claimed that after such a prolonged hunger strike, the government's priority should have been to discuss the issues and work towards resolving the concerns raised. Instead, he alleged, the authorities chose to remove the protester rather than address the demands.

Referring to issues concerning education and competitive examinations, Pilot said students across the country were demanding transparency, accountability, an end to examination paper leaks, and strict action against those responsible.

He said the Congress party's nationwide 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' (Voice of Students) campaign, launched from Kota, seeks to amplify these concerns.

Questioning the government's response to previous examination paper leak cases, Pilot referred to the CBI investigation into the alleged NEET paper leak and asked how many people had been arrested or held accountable.

He alleged that the government lacked the political will to ensure accountability and instead sought to suppress public protests.

Pilot also criticised the Rajasthan government over the continued delay in holding panchayat and urban local body elections.

Referring to observations made by the Rajasthan High Court, he alleged that the government was using reasons such as extreme weather to postpone the elections.

According to Pilot, the repeated postponement of elections for panchayats, municipalities, and student unions reflected the government's lack of confidence in facing the electorate.

He further alleged that the government had failed in key sectors such as education and healthcare and claimed that several infrastructure projects initiated during the previous Congress government had come to a standstill.

Pilot said the government should address public concerns through dialogue and accountability rather than delaying democratic processes or suppressing protests.