Gandhi accuses government of favouring loyalists over questioning students

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday criticised what he described as a system that prioritises unquestioning loyalty over intellectual inquiry, singling out students as targets for their willingness to challenge institutional performance.

Addressing concerns about institutional functioning, Gandhi alleged that a narrow circle of six individuals controls the topmost echelon of power, effectively steering the country's governance structures. He suggested that students pose a perceived threat to this arrangement precisely because they question why key institutions—including the judiciary, bureaucracy, and Election Commission—are not fulfilling their constitutional mandates.

Gandhi's remarks centred on the tension between critical engagement with state institutions and institutional resistance to such scrutiny. He implied that the current political establishment views questioning of institutional accountability as dangerous, preferring what he characterised as blind allegiance to the system's controllers.

The Congress leader's comments reflect ongoing debates within Indian political discourse regarding institutional independence and the space available for public scrutiny of governmental and constitutional bodies. His remarks underscore opposition concerns about the functioning of checks and balances in India's democratic framework.