- 5 days ago
A marathon debate on the Public Examination Prevention of Unfair Means Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday turned into a sharp political confrontation after Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra attacked newly appointed Education Minister Pralhad Joshi over his past remarks related to the Bilkis Bano case.
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00:16Good evening, you're watching To The Point. Lots going on in Parliament. Debate on, on the anti-paper leak bill.
00:22First up, allow me to take you through the headlines.
00:28Marathon anti-paper leak debate in Parliament.
00:30MOS PMO Jyotendra Singh assures stern punishment to paper leak culprits.
00:35Priyanka Gandhi slams government for use of pellet guns on protesters.
00:46Showdown over India's new education minister.
00:49Gandhi's recall.
00:50Prahlad Joshi's comments defending rapists.
00:52Rahul calls Joshi a filthy man.
00:55Centre fumes, demands apology from Priyanka Gandhi.
01:05After CJP's ultimatum, cases against protesters withdrawn in Bihar, Assam Maharashtra.
01:11Chief Minister also directs withdrawal of FIRs against protesters.
01:16Supreme Court refuses to give blanket immunity to protesters.
01:27Showdown over paper leak in Punjab.
01:30Youth Congress worker stages protest.
01:32Demands education minister Harjot Singh's resignation.
01:36Chief Minister Bhagwan Tman rejects allegations.
01:39Says no minister will resign as there was no paper leak.
01:48Mega Kashmiris versus Pakistan showdown.
01:52POJK erupts in protest against Pakistan atrocities.
01:55Firing by Park security forces at protest kills 20 Kashmiris.
02:00MA slams human rights violations by Pakistan.
02:11All right, viewers.
02:12After six days of deadlock, the Lok Sabha has finally begun debating the Public Examination Prevention of Unfair Means Amendment
02:20Bill, the Anti-Paper Leak Bill.
02:22Leading the government's surcharge, Dr. Jitendra Singh described the bill as a milestone in the fight against paper leaks, saying
02:30it would ensure speedy justice, tougher penalties and stronger safeguards for students, while accusing the UPA of neglecting exam reforms.
02:38The Congress countered by highlighting loopholes in the education system and the police crackdown on student protesters.
02:45Priyanka Gandhi questioned the alleged use of pellet guns and AK-47s during the protests, demanding answers from the Home
02:52Minister.
02:53Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav said Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation was means to protect the Prime Minister.
03:00Cleaning, Gen Z protested forcing the government to bend and dismiss the BJP's promises as mere gimmicks.
03:08The debate is set to continue late into the night, with Lok Sabha proceeding scheduled to run until 10 p
03:14.m.
03:15The most important thing that Pradhan Mantri Ji has mentioned after the video, is that to ensure speedy justice, we
03:27will have special fast-track courts established only for the cases dealing with unfair means in examinations.
03:40Or, chahe wo special task force ho, chahe wo central agency ho, because this bill and the earlier bill also
03:46entitles the government or authorizes the government to pass this out to any central agency,
03:52or to special task force, or even when the police RC is conducting.
03:57Unke liye section 12 A has been added to this earlier bill, which provides for special fast-track courts.
04:17The investigation has to be completed within a span of two months, regardless of whether there is a central agency
04:24or a special task force.
04:26And in two months, the entire investigation will be completed.
04:34And after that, the trial court, which is going to be a fast-track special court, which is going to
04:41be a fast-track special court,
04:53So I think this is one of the most important components incorporated in this amendment.
05:00So what is the action for the government?
05:01Prove ས སས སས སྲད སསོ སས སྲ སསས སས
05:21The Congress is saying, you are asking, you are asking, you are asking, you are asking.
05:31Who will answer?
05:33Who will answer?
05:35Who will answer?
05:38Who has ordered?
05:40Who has ordered for pellet guns?
05:43Who has ordered?
05:44Who has ordered?
05:44I will ask you, Adhyaksh Mahode.
05:50Who has ordered?
05:52The Prime Minister Ji?
05:53The Green Minister Ji?
05:56The whole country is asking.
05:59The Congress party is not asking.
06:01The whole country is asking.
06:03Adhyaksh Mahode?
06:04The mother and father are asking.
06:07The whole country is asking.
06:37The government is asking.
06:38That whole country is here.
06:39The once you have started?
06:48How did you know?
06:53The digital government should be.
06:55button. This is not the investigation agencies. The bill is saying that you have to
07:02have a total of 2 months in the middle of the whole process and the fast track court
07:10has to have a total trial for 3 months in the end of the year.
07:18In the adish mode, I was watching a very far away.
07:25And in this incident, when she was a first week
07:28she had a lead.
07:31She had a lead.
07:34She had a lead.
07:37She had a lead.
07:38She had a lead.
07:39She had a lead.
07:41She had a lead.
07:48But the new people had a lead.
08:03I want to ask her, in 2010, UPA government had introduced a similar bill, Prevention of
08:17Malpractices bill. Why did you not pass the bill? Why did that bill fail? If at all you were
08:24so concerned about the future of young people, in 2010, you should have passed this bill so
08:29that the last 30 years, these paper leaks would not have taken place. Adirshi, in 75 years
08:36of India's independent history, many papers were leaked. When I was preparing for this
08:47thorough papers, in the last 20 years, more than 200 paper leaks have taken place. Kendra
08:54Sarkar Ke Shtarpe, Pradesh Sarkar Ke Shtarpe. I can give you a full list when, who was in
09:00power, but is that going to solve the problem? The student does not need politics. He does
09:06not want solution. He does not want slogans. He wants solution. And this bill that Prime
09:12Minister Modi is bringing today, is the solution. It is 30 years late, but for the first time
09:18in the country's history, 70 years ke baad ek special kanun, examination ke baare mein paarith
09:25ho raha hai. Today, we support this bill, this amendment, because students deserve every possible
09:33protection. But we refuse to allow this government to convert legislation into a certificate of
09:39innocence. This bill cannot wash away 12 years of incompetence and failure. It cannot erase
09:48cancelled examinations. It cannot erase broken dreams. It cannot erase the humiliation faced
09:56by lakhs of young Indians. And it certainly cannot erase the images of students who came seeking
10:02justice and were made with barricades and pellet guns instead of love and compassion. Governments
10:09are not remembered by the speeches they make. They are remembered by the generation they leave
10:17behind. The government promised Amrit Kaal. Instead millions of students today has experienced
10:25Anxiety Kaal. You promised, I mean they promised opportunity, but the students received uncertainty.
10:33They promised merit, but they delivered manipulation. They promised confidence, but what the students
10:40inherited is fear. Young India will remember who stood with them today. Young India will also
10:47remember who questioned them. And young India will remember who tries to suppress their voice instead
10:54of protecting their dreams. Meanwhile, outside parliament, the Congress stepped up its attack
10:59on Union Minister, Education Minister, the new Education Minister, Prahalad Joshi. Rahul Gandhi
11:04and Priyanka Gandhi launched a blistering offensive accusing Joshi of defending Bilkis Bano convicts. Rahul Gandhi
11:11called him the most filthy type of a man, while Priyanka Gandhi made similar allegations. However,
11:17her remarks triggered massive ruckus in the House and were later expunged from the official records.
11:24All these young people were protesting about the education system. And so many girls are
11:31protesting. They've been beaten, they've been thrashed. The BJP puts a man who is a defender
11:38of rapists. That's the most filthy type of man. There can be no filthier man than somebody
11:45who says that rapists need protection. That is the Education Minister of India today. It's
11:51strange. It's a strange reaction from the Prime Minister that there are so many people in
11:56his cabinet. He could have chosen any one of them. But he chooses a person who protects rapists.
12:04That's not what my brother is saying. At a time when they are saying that they are bringing
12:08in women's rights, women's reservations and they are putting women in the forefront. What
12:12a way is this of putting women in the forefront? You're a woman, you're a woman. You know what
12:16women have to face and deal with in society in general, their security, everything. It's
12:21a very wrong message.
12:23Joining me now is Ms. Sushmita Dev, Rajya Sabha MP from the Bharatiya Janata Party. Ms. Dev,
12:30warm welcome. Thank you for joining us this evening. First up, how does it feel from now
12:35being in the Treasury benches or what was being on the other side of the political divide?
12:40Well, it's a big change, no doubt. And I think you have a greater say in policy making
12:49once you're on the Treasury benches because it is, you know, my party's government which
12:56churns out the policy. So the responsibility is also greater.
13:01All right. You know, we're going to have a longer discussion on that later on sometime,
13:06but lots going on where the parliament is concerned. We've had, you know, Priyanka Gandhi
13:11take to the floor. We've had Dr. Jitendra Singh from your side of the divide. Lots of commentary
13:17where the government's attempt at wanting to clean up the education system in this country.
13:22The biggest charge, Ms. Dev, that has come from the opposition is that all of this is
13:26an eye wash. To quote Priyanka Gandhi, you can change the angles of your phone, but you
13:31cannot impact actual change on ground where you don't have the intention to do so.
13:37I mean, if I were to test the intentions of the Bhatia Chanta Party or the NDA government, if
13:45you like, in 2018, when they brought in the National Testing Agency, it was a policy paralysis
13:53that was pending for about 30 years. I mean, this was always being discussed, but it never
13:59happened. And the second big change or reform, if you like, is the UPA government since 2010
14:08was toying with the idea of a substantive law that would address the issue of paper leaks.
14:14But as usual, UPA was infamous for policy paralysis. It never came, which was finally brought in by
14:22Prime Minister Modi and the NDA government in 2024. So, I don't think their intention can be questioned.
14:30They've shown greater conviction and more action. I'll beg to differ with Priyanka Gandhiji on that issue.
14:39You know, the government has introduced the anti-paper leak bill. Now, at the back of it, like, you know,
14:44I was telling you, there has been lots of commentary, lots of speeches made on the floor of the House.
14:49The charges, again, Ms. Dev, that has been made by the opposition.
14:53Number one, they speak of how you've had the Education Minister, who was made to step down,
15:00or step down of his own volition, was welcomed as a hero in Parliament.
15:04What kind of messaging is that, especially at the back of a protest of students?
15:09Number two, what is being also debated is that why isn't an official apology coming in from the Home Minister
15:16on the use of what the opposition deems was excessive force?
15:20Number three, that the replacement of the Education Minister and the new Education Minister
15:26is someone who had lauded the rapists of Bilkis Banu.
15:32See, first of all, I would like to say that who the Prime Minister picks to be his Cabinet Minister
15:40is the Prime Minister's prerogative. So, opposition is well within its rights to question it.
15:47But actually, there's nothing they can do about it. It's totally his prerogative.
15:51The second thing is, why was Mr. Dharmendra Pradhan applauded or given so much of respect
15:58when he came back to Parliament after having given his resignation?
16:02See, he has a history in the party. And I can give you hundreds of instances
16:09where ministers in the UPA regime made many blunders,
16:14but he doesn't wash away what he may have contributed.
16:19So, it's like saying that Priti, if you made one mistake, being one of the prime anchors of India today,
16:26all that you've put in the public domain as a journalist of integrity cannot just be washed away.
16:33So, I think in a democracy, you have to understand that taking moral responsibility in the face of a protest
16:44and the threats that it was posing, which I don't want to talk about right now,
16:49that he took moral responsibility for it. And I think that's nice of him.
16:54And as a party man who's served the party, served his own state and served the nation even as a
17:00petroleum minister, etc.,
17:02you can't just wash away his contributions.
17:06I think that's not the way it works and it shouldn't work that way.
17:11But, you know, Ms. Dev, because you brought up the analogy of a journalist and, you know, doesn't wash away
17:17work.
17:17Nobody once is taking away Dharmendra Pradhan's achievements in the various fields that he has made them in.
17:25But when you bring in the journalist analogy, I definitely or my organization will definitely not honor me publicly
17:31at the back of me or anybody else from my organization reporting on a story that is unethical and unexpected.
17:39Or, not unexpected, but unethical or inappropriate without facts.
17:43Now, the reason Dharmendra Pradhan voluntarily put in his resignation was because he took moral responsibility.
17:51Should he have been celebrated publicly at the back of it?
17:55See, Preeti, he has served the party, he has served the organization, he has made contributions.
18:04And, you know, I don't want to go down that road.
18:07I don't think any minister of any department or a prime minister of a country would deliberately want a paper
18:17lay.
18:18So, you see, as a minister, when you step down for whatever reasons, it's not because he's directly involved or
18:26complicit in this crime.
18:27He's not the criminal.
18:28But, yes, he has stepped down for the reasons he stated therein.
18:33So, let's not treat him like a criminal.
18:35Why should we as a party?
18:37We have no reason to do so.
18:38We celebrate his achievements.
18:40And as, you know, his colleagues, even many chief ministers of states applauded his contributions.
18:47And some of the chief ministers even named what had been given by the education minister.
18:53His contribution, if you like, from the NDA government, the minister of the NDA government.
18:59He has given, you know, institutions of higher education.
19:02He's worked.
19:03He's worked for this department.
19:04He's delivered.
19:05So, I don't think you need to make, you know, a big deal out of that.
19:09I mean, have we not seen, you know, the Congress reshuffling ministers or dropping them and then giving them other
19:18responsibilities in the past?
19:20Of course.
19:21Take the example of Pawan Bansal.
19:23If you remember, he had to resign, you know, when there was a huge controversy and Mrs. Gandhi had to
19:28walk into Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's office and ask for Pawan Bansal's resignation.
19:33He was not outcast today.
19:35He holds a very, very key position within the All India Congress Committee.
19:40So, it happens.
19:41Well, Ms. Dev, the other thing that resounded today in the debate in Parliament was accountability.
19:47Why is the government falling short of apologizing and taking accountability of what the opposition feels was excessive use of
19:55force, which now we know there are rubber, there were pellet guns that were used and that is now accepted
20:01that they were used in the national capital.
20:03There was an AK-47 that was brandished in Siwan, Bihar, and shots fired from that on students, protesting students.
20:12What stops the government from apologizing and taking accountability?
20:16You see, what I read in the papers this morning is that there is an inquiry where the use of
20:24pellets has been mentioned by the CRPF, I think.
20:27So, it's out there.
20:30Let the inquiry reports happen.
20:31Even the Supreme Court is looking into it, as you know, and has given some opinion there.
20:37And you have to understand, it's a question of fact.
20:40What is excessive?
20:42What is not?
20:43I mean, I cannot comment on it and you can't arrive at conclusions.
20:47We'll have to see what was at stake.
20:49But having said that, having said that, I don't think any kind of protest, any kind of protest which is
20:59met with proportionate or disproportionate force, I mean, it's not a pretty picture.
21:06I'll have to admit that.
21:07But whether they should apologize, I don't know, because it's a question of fact.
21:12We'll have to know.
21:13We'll have to find out what are the circumstances under which they felt compelled to use it.
21:18I mean, I was there that day in Parliament, Piti, when I saw the security running towards our main gates
21:25and shutting it down.
21:27It means I couldn't see exactly what was happening.
21:29I mean, God forbid, God forbid, we all appreciate that this, inside the students' protest, there were many other elements.
21:42It will all come out gradually as they look at everybody's antecedents.
21:46Had even 5,000 people taking part in this protest had entered or violated the Parliament, what would have happened
21:57then?
21:58One must think of both sides.
22:02One must think of both sides.
22:04Last question, Ms. Dev.
22:05The other allegation that was made, and this one by Priyanka Gandhi, where she says that there is a concerted
22:13attempt to cut down the budget of education, which remains to 1.4 lakh crores, while 16 lakh crores in
22:21loans have been written off for big businesses.
22:23She also adds that there have been 152 paper leaks in the last 10 years alone, which have impacted over
22:307 crores students, basically suggesting all that the government has done, even now, is an eyewash and they're not serious
22:37about tackling the situation at hand.
22:40You can't compare apples to oranges and talk about the education budget and compare it to corporate loans.
22:47That's their agenda.
22:48But I have a data here.
22:50I mean, in 2014, the budget was 65,869 crores.
22:55Today, it's at 1,39,000 odd crores, which is 103% increase.
23:01So, I mean, if you are going to put data there, you can't compare apples to oranges.
23:07And I think what Prime Minister Modi has made very clear that he wants reforms.
23:15We are waiting for the student protesters to give in a document after four weeks, which I'm sure will look
23:22at the entire education system.
23:24And there's a dialogue that is on, and I'm sure that what will come out, and I'm quite confident what
23:33will come out of it will only improve the education system in India.
23:36Ms. Dev, just before we let you go, on a lighter note, for someone who spent so many years on
23:41the opposition, do you think, and now is on the other side, do you think your government's done a good
23:46job with the way they've handled the crisis in terms of the students' protest?
23:51I see a lot of, I observed a lot of things.
23:56It's that the same Priyanka ji who's screaming fire in parliament today.
24:01I mean, they let the student protest for days, but they didn't go there.
24:06You know, Mr. Gandhi only called the ISA leader and spoke to her and did two meetings, one in Deradun
24:14or somewhere.
24:14And I think he felt compelled to go before the Prime Minister's house because he was losing out on optics.
24:22I mean, it's crystal clear because the issue of the leak started way back in May and all that the
24:28Congress party did is they were on social media.
24:31So it's quite clear to me that they are fighting for space against the student protestors.
24:38It's that kind of a competition which has become crystal clear after this incident.
24:42But the question wasn't so much that, Ms. Dev.
24:44The question was more to do whether the government handled the students' protest right, but you're learning well.
24:49Thank you for joining us, Sushmita Neva.
24:52Take care.
24:52Appreciate it. Thank you there.
24:54Okay, bye.
25:01Alright, the latest news break coming in right now.
25:03After meeting the Speaker, Education Minister Pralad Joshi meets the Home Minister.
25:08Piyush Goyal, Kiran Rajiju also attending the meeting.
25:11This is a very crucial meet after a showdown in Lok Sabha where direct questions have been raised on whether
25:17Mr. Joshi should be the education minister
25:21because you have the opposition taking him on on the comments that Pralad Joshi had made on the rapists of
25:28Bilkis Bano.
25:29The Gandhis particularly targeted Joshi, calling him defender of rapists.
25:34Theele el-
25:39Al Ali, Sir.
25:41To authenticate.
25:43They didn't want to authenticate.
25:45You want to authenticate.
25:46I need to authenticate.
25:47Priyanka Ji, I need to authenticate.
25:50I need to authenticate.
25:51I need to work for misinformation.
25:53I need to work for misinformation.
25:56I need to do for misinformation.
25:57I could tell anyone.
25:57What can I do as a matter of anything?
25:59The procedure for the minister to correcting the mistake.
26:24All right, face-off right now in Parliament,
26:29you've had not just the Congress, particularly the Gandhis,
26:32both Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi taking on the government
26:36where the new appointee of Education Minister, Mr. Pralaj Joshi, is concerned.
26:42You've had Rahul Gandhi, who's used a very strong language,
26:45calling Mr. Pralaj Joshi a filthy man,
26:48something which, of course, led to a massive pushback and outcry from the Treasury benches.
26:55You had Priyanka Gandhi, who also used similar language,
26:58which was expunged later.
27:00Now, this is in context with Pralaj Joshi.
27:02If you remember, viewers, he had defended the rapists of Bilkes Bano.
27:07And then you have the Congress today asking a question
27:10on how can this man run the education of the country
27:13because he was somebody who has defended rapists in the past.
27:17I am joined right now by Piyush Mishra.
27:19There is a meeting going on.
27:20Piyush, give us the details.
27:22I believe the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Kiran Rajiju,
27:25you have the Home Minister, as well as Piyush Goel.
27:27What's up for discussion?
27:31We seem to have lost my colleague, Piyush Mishra.
27:34We're going to try and get him back on the phone line.
27:37But this is the latest that has come in.
27:41Impasse right now,
27:43which is building up where the Congress is concerned.
27:48The Congress very clear.
27:49They want to put the government on the mat
27:51on the issue of the appointment of Mr. Pralaj Joshi as Education Minister
27:55because they feel that somebody who has defended rapists in the past
28:00should not lead the Education Ministry.
28:02The government now in a huddle.
28:04You have Mr. Ramit Shah,
28:06as well as the Parliamentary Affairs Minister,
28:10Kiran Rajiju and Piyush Goel in a meeting.
28:13Let's cut across to Anurad Thakurlai.
28:25Anurad Thakurlai.
28:33Anurad Thakurlai.
28:41Anurad Thakurlai.
28:42Anurad Thakurlai .
28:44I should say no.
28:51Bye.
28:55What is the first date of Arumad Thakurlai?
29:07So should you be an angry man that no means 십.
29:30all right we'll continue to get you the latest in parliament but viewers are in parliament not
29:35inside right outside bjpmp kangana ranoth triggered a fresh political storm with blistering instagram
29:43rant against women associated with gen z calling them generation gutter and questioning their
29:50values the bjpmp has drawn very sharp criticism the remarks are particularly striking because
29:57the student movement was defined by unprecedented participation of women with many faces coming
30:04out and being part of the protest here's the full report
30:15they led the protest today they are kangana ranawat's latest target the bjpmp has launched a
30:23blistering attack on women associated with the cjp movement in a lengthy instagram rant she claimed
30:30behavior of young indian women is appalling gen z women are so-called westernized indian women they
30:39flaunt freedom for drugs and drinks they shamelessly live off the parents i call them generation gutter
30:48they have nothing to offer society some indian women are ugly and corrupt they can't even be homemakers
30:57her remarks come against a movement defined by unprecedented participation of women students
31:04professionals mothers women did not just join the cjp agitation they became its face so you're angry at
31:14the system you're saying yeah angry at the system it is not just about the upsc what made me come
31:19here but it is about the need scam and all all the corruption which is happening in the education system
31:26girls come from we have come from hos khas hos khas delhi university or what do you guys do oh
31:31yes
31:31yes delhi university don't want to reveal your identity but here in support of we are in support we want
31:37accountability i'm a medical student myself so we just want accountability we want him to resign
31:41you want the education minister to go 100 percent for the country for the people for the children
31:47who died for the system that is ruined everything for us we we talk about being educated and education
31:55but our country is not letting us study the we tried to we just we just sat there and they
32:01you know threw tear gas at us and like our entire face was on like fire
32:08and one image came to define the movement ria ahir the mumbai model who stood in front of a
32:14police van to stop protesters from being taken away the image went viral turning her into one of the
32:22defining faces of the cjp protest kangana's latest attack follows an earlier rant in which she describes cjp's
32:32social media campaign as puke inducing and mock the protesters over their posts and slogans the cjp
32:41hit back immediately saying even the bgp does not take kangana ranavad seriously okay kangana ranavad
32:48jiko up unke party waale hi zada nahi poochta hai zada seriously nahi lete hai unko to humdo
32:54the congress also condemned the remarks accusing kangana of insulting women
33:23to defend the government
33:54From farmers to opposition leaders, Kangana's remarks have repeatedly triggered outrage.
34:01This time, the women who gave the CGP movement its strongest voice have become Kangana's target.
34:09Bureau Report, India Today.
34:15Well, here is our millennial woman, myself, now responding to the accusations made against Gen Z women.
34:22Because, to be honest, in all probability, most Gen Z women wouldn't even find these remarks worth their while to
34:28respond to, which is a good thing.
34:30If anything, they'd probably find them deeply amusing, or a treasure trove of content for social media.
34:36Affront and anger were, more often than not, the reactions of millennial women like us, not so much Gen Z.
34:43So here goes, Ms. Ranaut.
34:45There is but a deep irony in someone like you,
34:49a young woman who built her career on her own terms with immense hard work.
34:53Someone who was viewed as an outlier, outspoken, unconventional, not just by the boomers before you,
34:59but even by many within your own generation.
35:03Now, you yourself, using highly sexist, derogatory, communal language against an entire generation of women.
35:11Sorry, an entire generation of Hindu women.
35:14You called them Generation Gutter.
35:16You said that some of them have nothing to offer to the system, that they are not good at studies,
35:22and that they are so ugly and corrupt that they can't be even homemakers.
35:27You passed blanket judgment on thousands of angry women who gathered at Jantar Mantar in protest,
35:33in solidarity, in sisterhood.
35:35Now, let me be clear, there should be no space for abuse.
35:39Abuse of language deserves criticism, whosoever uses it.
35:43But, but, to dismiss the young women who thronged Jantar Mantar as crass, graceless, ugly like cockroaches,
35:53and not even fit to be homemakers is stunning, Ms. Ranaut.
35:56In doing so, you have lent credibility to every misogynistic insult that has been hurled at you throughout your career,
36:05and there have been so many of them.
36:07Coming back to the protest, many sociologists have observed that the Jantar Mantar protest
36:12witnessed one of the largest mobilization of women in recent years.
36:16That in itself is extraordinary.
36:19Young students, working professionals, activists, mothers, grandmothers,
36:23women from all walks of life came together to make themselves heard.
36:28And yes, even if, as you claimed, that some were abusive, crass, or drunk,
36:34why should they alone be singled out and shamed?
36:38Men have gotten away with the same very behavior for generations now,
36:42but when women swear, when women raise their voice,
36:45when women refuse to be polite, refuse to be graceful,
36:48refuse to perform in the realms of respectability in public space,
36:53suddenly it becomes a question of morality.
36:56How dare women be crass?
36:59How dare women be angry?
37:01How dare women occupy public spaces without first proving
37:05they are dignified enough to deserve that space?
37:09That is the burden we women have carried for generations,
37:13the burden of respectability.
37:15And it is precisely that burden these young women refuse to carry.
37:20We as millennial were raised on those expectations.
37:23We were taught that a woman must be graceful, calm, composed, demure,
37:28that she must make her point politely, but with dignity.
37:32We lived through those standards.
37:34Every step outside those boundaries invited judgment.
37:38Every act of defiance came with the prize.
37:40And you, Miss Ranaut, know that better than most.
37:44Which is precisely why this is so disappointing.
37:47You of all people should have looked at these young women
37:49shouting their hearts out at Janatar Mantar
37:52with a sense of pride, not contempt.
37:54You of all people should have understood
37:56what it means to be a woman to stop worrying about being pretty or graceful
38:01and simply demand to be heard
38:03and seen to be occupying public space.
38:07Because, Miss Ranaut, we are millennials.
38:10We cared.
38:11We measured every word.
38:12We watched every step.
38:14We carried the burden of respectability everywhere we went.
38:18They don't.
38:19And dare we millennial women pass that burden of respectability on to them.
38:24They deserve better because we know we deserved better.
38:28And from us women, a generation above them today,
38:31instead of contempt, they need, if not loud, a silent hat tip.
38:36Also, for the record, contrary to what you said on drugs, alcohol,
38:40data stands testimony that this generation is actually drinking a lot less,
38:44doing a lot less drugs than our generation.
38:48So that, Miss Ranaut and viewers, is a millennial woman's rant.
38:53For the Gen Z reaction, Miss Ranaut,
38:55you may check out the memes on Instagram
38:57for what Gen Z has to say about you and your comment.
39:01So that's that.
39:02Let's quickly cut across now.
39:05I believe we have Renuka Choudhury, Congress MP.
39:07She joins us live.
39:09Miss Ranaut, thank you.
39:10Miss Choudhury, thank you for taking the time out and joining us this evening.
39:15Let me start with the first question.
39:17You've been very vocal in criticizing fellow parliamentarian, Miss Kangana Ranaut.
39:22You've been someone who's held the position of women and child development.
39:26How important it is to support all those women who came out in protest at Jantar Mantar,
39:32leave-alone party lines?
39:40I actually don't like commenting on other women.
39:44Because I think even a person like Kangana is a victim herself of BJP politics.
39:50It's unfortunate that she couldn't rise above that and see the broader picture.
39:56So I said what I did spontaneously because it is outrageous that you are not willing to see
40:05what it cost women to come out onto the streets, to break through their traditional barriers,
40:11to raise their voice in a unified protest,
40:16not to be divided into segments which usually men do with women,
40:22and to be able to come to protect and defend their own.
40:28So it's unfortunate.
40:29And I think we're wasting national time even addressing this issue.
40:33No, ma'am, I agree.
40:34I know you don't want to talk about it, but fair point.
40:36But I don't think we're wasting national time, Miss Choudhury.
40:38Because comments like this need to be called out and they need to be spoken for.
40:42And women who are watching this need to understand that this should not pass.
40:46But having said that, we'll flip the conversation over.
40:49And we'll talk about what's going on in Parliament.
40:52You know, vociferous debate on the floor of the House.
40:55The Treasury benches will have us believe you're trying to derail a conversation.
41:01You're trying to stall a landmark bill, which is the anti-paper leak bill,
41:06which could change the entire system of how corrupt our education system is.
41:12And you're trying to stall it.
41:14You had a choice in 2010 to clear the same very bill.
41:17You didn't do it then.
41:18And you're trying to stall it now.
41:23You know, it's quite amazing how brazen and shameless this government is.
41:30And they haven't learned a lesson.
41:32They continue to do this de facto trashing of the opposition
41:40and think that the whole nation are a bunch of fools who are watching and don't know the truth.
41:45They didn't understand what was the flashpoint in the children getting out onto the streets
41:50and the young people defying and doing what we should have been doing as adults.
41:57We didn't do it.
41:58We sat quiet.
41:59We were passive.
41:59We received all the deceit that has been put out by this government.
42:05Now, by the way, I don't know if you're aware,
42:09but there is a bill that already exists in Parliament.
42:13The same reasons to contain paper leaks.
42:19The same, there was a Radha Krishna committee that was constituted.
42:25101 recommendations were made.
42:29Rahul Gandhi was raising this from 2018.
42:32And what did they say?
42:33They called him all sorts of names.
42:35And even the media didn't pick that up.
42:38And from 2024, this bill has been lying idle in Parliament.
42:42What did the government do about that?
42:45Why didn't they implement the 101 recommendations?
42:49So now, abracadabra, they bring out another rabbit from the hat.
42:53And they're trying to pretend that they're bringing something new.
42:57And that we are stalling.
42:58Why are we stalling?
43:00We asked for an apology from the Home Minister.
43:03I don't think the Health Minister or the Science and Technology Minister are the competent authority
43:09to come out and inform Parliament and the nation as to why the children were shot at.
43:16Tear gas, lati charge, brutalized, sticks, batons with nails pushed into them,
43:24old broken cars brought and attributed to the children,
43:28dumpsters that came in with stones, policemen without labels.
43:34Every conceivable violation of the citizens' rights happened there.
43:41And this government doesn't think that, had they apologized, had they constituted,
43:48my God, what have they done to the policemen?
43:51The entire police force is shamed.
43:54Will a citizen ever trust a policeman?
43:58Ms. Chaudhary, I'm going to ask you one question now.
44:00That's all the time that we have left.
44:02But the question I'd like to ask you, Ms. Chaudhary, is,
44:05the government is saying, and a lot of people from the BJP are of the opinion,
44:10that the Congress wasn't able to politically capitalize the situation.
44:14The credit has gone to a student pressure group like the CJP,
44:18therefore now trying to move in and gain political points.
44:25Yeah, because that's how they look at things.
44:27That's their scorecard.
44:29That's all they can talk about to divert, dilute and mislead the entire nation.
44:35We had no intentions of getting any political mileage out of this.
44:39We waited.
44:41We wanted people to participate and they did.
44:45This is their right.
44:47This is the fundamental principle of our democracy,
44:50by the people, for the people, of the people.
44:54And the people did that.
44:55The youth rose.
44:57Democracy resonated.
45:00Citizens came out on the streets.
45:02My God, we are witness to history in the making.
45:05We are looking at it.
45:07That word democracy is alive and well.
45:10And that is what this government doesn't understand.
45:13More police, more oppression, more depression, more rules for us of how we have to raise it in parliament.
45:20What are they doing to themselves?
45:22Never mind what they do to us.
45:23We are competent.
45:24We will fight back.
45:25But what are they doing to themselves?
45:28They have made a complete ass of themselves.
45:32They are seen as dirty, deceitful people, which they are.
45:36And they try to divert the issue onto everyone.
45:39If I don't correct you right now, I am going to be heavily trolled.
45:42You have just used an unparliamentary word on national television.
45:49What?
45:50I can't say it.
45:51I am not saying it.
45:53Deceitful.
45:54All right.
45:55None of the words I have used are unparliamentary.
45:58The behavior of this government is unparliamentary.
46:01You have ministers for unparliamentary affairs sitting in parliament.
46:05And the whole conduct of this government is unparliamentary.
46:08That they allowed police, they actually gave orders to the police to come out and hit the children and shoot
46:14them.
46:15I think that is obscene and unparliamentary.
46:19There can't be anything more ugly or vulgar than that.
46:23All right.
46:23The words that we are deemed as unparliamentary is quite hilarious.
46:27They should update that book in the parliament.
46:30Well, Ms. Choudhury, thank you for taking the time out and joining us.
46:33I hope we had you a little earlier.
46:34We had spent more time in this interview.
46:37But thank you for taking the time out.
46:38With that, it's a wrap on this edition of To The Point.
46:41Thank you there.
46:57We'll see you in the next edition of To The Point.
46:59We'll see you in the next edition of To The Point.
46:59We'll see you in the next edition of To The Point.
46:59We'll see you in the next edition of To The Point.
47:00We'll see you in the next edition of To The Point.
47:00You
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