Opposition parties slam Delhi police for using force against SSC aspirants; police deny charge

Mr. Jindal
7 Min Read

The Congress on Monday (August 25, 2025) slammed the Centre over the alleged “lathi charge” on Staff Selection Commission (SSC) aspirants protesting at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi, with Rahul Gandhi alleging the Modi government was not concerned about youths’ future as it has come to power by “stealing votes”.

SSC students and trainers staged a protest at Ramlila Maidan on Sunday (August 24, 2025), demanding better conduct of the examination. Police, however, have denied opposition parties’ claims of baton charging the demonstrators.

In a post in Hindi on X, Mr. Gandhi said, “The brutal lathicharge on SSC candidates and teachers who were peacefully protesting at Ramlila Maidan is not only shameful but also the hallmark of a cowardly government.”

“The youth had only demanded their rights — employment and justice — but got lathi-charged,” said the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.

“It is clear the Modi government is neither concerned about the youth of the country, nor about their future. Why should it be? This government has come to power not by the votes of the people, but by stealing votes,” Mr. Gandhi said.

He went on to say, “First, they will steal votes. Then they will steal exams. Then they will steal jobs. Then they will crush your rights and voice, both! Youth, farmers, poor, Bahujans and minorities, they do not want your vote, so your demands will never be their priority.”

Now is the time, not to be afraid, but to fight boldly, Mr. Gandhi asserted.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also slammed the Centre over the issue. The use of police force on the SSC students protesting at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan is “inhuman and shameful”, she said in a post in Hindi on X.

“The youth of the entire country are troubled by rigging in every exam, scam in every recruitment and paper leaks. The corruption in the recruitment process and exams under the BJP rule is ruining the future of the youth,” Ms. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said.

“Instead of correcting it and listening to the youth, lathi-charging them is unfortunate. Instead of being cruel to the students, they should be heard,” she said.

“For demanding a fair SSC recruitment, today the Modi government had students thrashed with batons. Those who could not remove unemployment are now busy suppressing the voice of the youth,” Congress-affiliated NSUI said and pledged support to the protesting aspirants.

Those questioning BJP are silenced by batons: Kejriwal

Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal too, on Monday (August 25, 2025), slammed the BJP government led by Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta over the lathi charge on the protesting SSC aspirants.

He accused the government of using force to silence the students and suppress their voices, who were protesting against irregularities in the SSC exam.

In a post on X, Mr. Kejriwal alleged that BJP has made a mockery not just of democracy, but of the entire system.

“See the BJP’s dictatorship and thuggery…Open thuggery is rampant in the country. Those who question the BJP are silenced by ordering lathi charges against them. Anyone can be picked up and thrown into jail, any law can be changed whenever they want. If someone doesn’t vote for the BJP, their vote is cut,” he said.

“These students have been fighting for justice for months over the irregularities in the SSC exam. Instead of listening to their voices, they were beaten with batons in the darkness of the night. Imagine… the hands that should have been holding books yesterday now bear the marks of injuries. Media personnel were also stopped from covering the news,” Mr. Kejriwal added.

Former deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia posted a video on X in which police personnel were seen pushing a protester and dragging another. “At Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan, the BJP’s ‘Lathi-Leela’. Brutal baton charge on SSC students and teachers, dragged them away forcefully. When it comes to providing jobs, the Modi government ranks last, but when it comes to lathi-charging youth, it is number one,” he said.

What caused the protests?

The SSC is a statutory body that conducts recruitment exams for various posts in ministries, departments, and other government organisations.

The Phase 13 exam, conducted between July 24 and August 1 across 194 centres in 142 cities, was plagued by abrupt cancellations, software crashes, biometric verification failures, and erroneous centre allotments. During the test window, around five lakh candidates appeared for the examination.

These disruptions triggered a wave of protests across Delhi last week, bringing thousands of aspirants to the streets and also resulting in a strong backlash on social media.

No use of force, say police

According to a senior Delhi Police officer, around 1,500 protestors gathered at Ramlila Maidan, and 100 refused to leave the site after the permitted time despite multiple requests and intimations.

“Out of those who were not leaving, 44 protestors were detained. There was no laathi-charge,” the officer said.

The SSC exam has seen numerous complaints of abrupt cancellations, server crashes, unresponsive systems and exam centres located as far as 500 km from candidates’ homes.

Published – August 25, 2025 12:28 pm IST

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