Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Wednesday, 29 July, launched a sharp attack on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), accusing it of systematically 'capturing' India's education system and seeking to turn students into 'Andhabhakts' (blind adherents) rather than independent thinkers. Gandhi made the remarks during the debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, in the Lok Sabha.

What Gandhi Said on the Floor

Speaking in the House, Gandhi alleged that the education system had grown increasingly privatised and that the RSS exercised decisive influence over educational institutions and policymaking. 'Our (education) system is terrible, it's cruel; everything is being privatised... It is an extortion system, it is a brutal, terrible system... It's a system that has been captured; the soul of the system has been captured by the RSS,' he said.

Gandhi also targeted former Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan directly, alleging that his resignation was cosmetic. 'The man and organisation that runs the Education Ministry is called the RSS, and the man who runs it is the OSD sitting in the Minister's office,' he claimed, suggesting that real administrative control lay outside the elected government.

On University Leadership and Student Rights

The Congress leader alleged that Vice Chancellors at universities across the country were drawn from RSS ranks. 'Every single university in India today, and the students should know this, has the Vice Chancellor from the RSS. Dharmendra Pradhan is the symbol; your real enemy is the RSS; they are not letting you be students, they want you to be 'Andhabhakts',' he said.

Gandhi further alleged that students were being denied the right to pursue their own interests or ask questions freely, and were instead being compelled to accept what he described as a 'distorted version of history' promoted by the RSS. 'They are not allowed to follow their passion, say what they want or ask the questions; but they have to buy this nonsensical history that the RSS fantasises,' he said.

Gandhi on the Student Movement

Framing the ongoing student unrest as a broader act of resistance, Gandhi said young people were asserting their refusal to be defined by political or ideological forces. 'This is the reaction from the soul of India that is saying that under no circumstances are we going to become your Andhabhakts, under no circumstances are you going to define our future,' he said, adding that students had shown courage that 'their parents did not have' in confronting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the RSS.

Context and Background

The remarks came during debate on a bill aimed at curbing malpractice in public examinations — legislation introduced in the wake of paper leak controversies that had roiled competitive exams across several states. Gandhi's speech broadened the debate beyond the bill's immediate scope, using the occasion to question structural control over India's education apparatus. This is not the first time the Congress leader has alleged RSS influence over government institutions; similar charges have been levelled in previous sessions, though the BJP and RSS have consistently denied them. The RSS has not issued an immediate response to Wednesday's remarks.