'They Have Not Done Any Crime': Rahul Gandhi Alleges Govt Targeting Student Protesters With Surveillance, Threats | Video

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday alleged that the government was targeting students protesting through a dharna, claiming they were being subjected to surveillance, intimidation and physical attacks despite having committed no wrongdoing.

Addressing a press conference on July 29, Gandhi said he was speaking out because he was deeply concerned about the treatment being meted out to the protesting students.

"I am doing this press conference right now because I am concerned about that. I am concerned that in the shadows, silently, the Home Minister, I know his approach and his thinking, and the establishment are right now attacking the students who are on dharna," Gandhi said.

He alleged that authorities were using facial recognition technology to identify students and intimidate them. Gandhi also claimed that the protesters were being threatened and physically assaulted.

"They are using facial recognition, they are threatening them, Bajrang Dal is beating them up, is being used against them and that is why I am standing here today because I want to bring attention to this and I want every single student and their parents to know that the government is doing this," he said.

Describing the students as the country's future, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said the government had no justification for targeting them.

"These are our children, they are our future and the government has no business attacking them, threatening them, beating them, even touching them," Gandhi said.

He further asserted that the students had not committed any offence and should not face punitive action.

"They have not done any crime. If they had done some crime, I would be the first person to say they have done a crime, they should be punished. But these boys and girls have done nothing wrong, they cannot and should not be punished," he added.