Kharge condemns lathi‑charge on students, demands Modi’s accountability over Ram Mandir funds

New Delhi – On Monday, as Parliament’s monsoon session kicked off, Mallikarjun Kharge, the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, raised his voice against what he described as a "lathi‑charge on students" that had taken place earlier in the day. He called the incident a "direct assault on democracy" and warned that such heavy‑handedness signalled a government that struggled to stay in power.

Kharge didn’t stop at criticism. He turned the spotlight onto Prime Minister Narendra Modi, insisting that the Prime Minister should answer for the controversy surrounding the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. "Modi sahib should take responsibility because he created the Trust," Kharge said, urging the government to clear up questions about the large sums of donations linked to the Ram Mandir project.

Adding another layer to the opposition’s discontent, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh took the opportunity to knock the Prime Minister’s pre‑session address. Ramesh dismissed it as a "litany of platitudes," pointing out that Modi had sidestepped pressing issues such as alleged irregularities in the NEET examinations and the lingering doubts over the Ram Mandir donation accounts.

While the exact details of the lathi‑charge remain under‑reported, the incident has reignited a broader debate about civil liberties and governmental accountability in India. Opposition leaders, now vocal on multiple fronts, appear determined to keep these concerns on the parliamentary agenda throughout the session.