New Delhi, August 19, 2026 : Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday accused the Modi government of allegedly damaging the future prospects of students and youth, and called on the Congress to prepare a comprehensive “Education-to-Employment Roadmap” aimed at addressing the challenges facing young people.
Addressing the opening session of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting at Indira Bhawan in New Delhi, Kharge alleged that the country’s education system has faced serious setbacks over the past several years.
He claimed that instead of witnessing an expansion of educational infrastructure, around 94,000 schools have closed in recent years, while higher education is becoming increasingly expensive and inaccessible to ordinary families due to what he described as a growing push towards privatisation.
Kharge alleged that the Modi government had “devastated” the future of the youth and said the Congress must now develop a clear and comprehensive roadmap connecting education with employment opportunities.
Allegations Over Educational Institutions
Kharge also alleged that educational institutions were increasingly being influenced or taken over by people associated with the RSS.
His remarks came as senior Congress leaders gathered for the CWC meeting, which was chaired by Kharge.
Among those attending were former Congress presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, AICC general secretaries Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Jairam Ramesh and K C Venugopal, along with senior leaders including Ambika Soni, Mukul Wasnik and P Chidambaram.
Questions PM Modi Over Ram Temple Donations
In his opening remarks, Kharge also questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s alleged silence over claims concerning the alleged theft of donations made for the Ram temple.
He demanded that the Prime Minister apologise over the issue and provide answers to the people.
The allegations and demands made by Kharge are part of the Congress’s broader criticism of the government’s policies concerning education, employment and public accountability.
Congress Chief Ministers Attend CWC
The CWC meeting was also attended by Congress Chief Ministers and senior state leaders, including A Revanth Reddy of Telangana, V D Satheesan of Kerala, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu of Himachal Pradesh and D K Shivakumar of Karnataka.
The meeting is expected to provide the Congress leadership an opportunity to deliberate on organisational and political priorities, with youth, education, employment and other national issues featuring prominently in the party’s agenda.
