Former JNU student leader Shehla Rashid reveals why she started supporting PM Modi; Here's why
New Delhi: Former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student leader Shehla Rashid expressed a shift in her perspective on Kashmir, stating that the region is not comparable to Gaza. She acknowledged changes in Jammu and Kashmir and credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah's policies for bringing about a bloodless political solution.
In an interview with news agency ANI, Rashid admitted to sympathizing with stone pelters in 2010 but indicated a change in her views. She emphasized that the current situation in Kashmir is distinct from Gaza, citing a reduction in protests and sporadic incidents of insurgency and infiltrations.
In 2010, yes," Shehla Rashid said. "But today, when I see it, I am much more grateful for today's situation. Kashmir is not Gaza, it has become clear that Kashmir is not Gaza, because Kashmir was just involved in these back-and-forth protests and sporadic incidents of insurgency and infiltrations," she said.
Rashid praised the present government, especially Modi and Shah, for breaking the ice and achieving a political solution without bloodshed. She previously commended the government's efforts to improve the human rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
"All of those things, somebody needed to break the ice, and for that, I would like to credit the present government, especially the Prime Minister and the Home Minister."
The former student leader acknowledged her struggles at JNU, particularly after the sedition charges against former research scholar Umar Khalid and then JNU Student Union president Kanhaiya Kumar in 2017. Rashid highlighted the backlash against JNU and emphasized that certain slogans, such as 'Bharat Tere Tukde Honge' and 'Laal Salam,' were never raised at the university.
Umar Khalid, charged with sedition and criminal conspiracy, was arrested nearly two years ago in connection with the northeast Delhi riots. He faces charges under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) for his alleged role in the incident.
Sharing the interview on social media, Rashid captioned it, “What caused my change of heart is the realisation that the Hon'ble PM @narendramodi is a selfless man who is taking radical decisions to transform India. He has braved intense criticism but remained steadfast to his vision of inclusive development that leaves no one behind.”
This was not the first time Rashid praised the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
Earlier, in August this year, Rashid, who has been a vocal critic of the Modi government's decision to revoke Jammu and Kashmir's autonomous status on August 5, 2019, as well as its subsequent division into two Union territories, praised the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre and the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir for their efforts in improving the human rights situation in the Valley.
What caused my change of heart is the realisation that the Hon'ble PM @narendramodi is a selfless man who is taking radical decisions to transform India. He has braved intense criticism but remained steadfast to his vision of inclusive development that leaves no one behind. pic.twitter.com/s06cA2Q2ua
— Shehla Rashid (@Shehla_Rashid) November 16, 2023
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Unemployment is biggest problem faced by youth, it is directly linked to 'vote chori': Rahul Gandhi
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday claimed that as long as elections are "stolen", unemployment and corruption will continue to rise, and asserted that young people will no longer tolerate "job theft" and "vote theft".
In a post on X in Hindi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said unemployment is the biggest problem facing youth in India and it is directly linked to "vote chori".
When a government wins public trust and comes to power, its first duty is to provide employment and opportunities to the youth, he said.
"But the BJP doesn't win elections honestly -- they stay in power by stealing votes and controlling institutions," Gandhi alleged.
That's why unemployment has reached a 45-year high, he said.
"That's why jobs are declining, recruitment processes have collapsed, and the future of youth is being jeopardised. That's why every exam paper leak and every recruitment is linked to stories of corruption," Gandhi said.
भारत में युवाओं की सबसे बड़ी समस्या बेरोज़गारी है - और इसका सीधा रिश्ता वोट चोरी से है।
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 23, 2025
जब कोई सरकार जनता का विश्वास जीतकर सत्ता में आती है, तो उसका पहला कर्तव्य होता है युवाओं को रोज़गार और अवसर देना।
लेकिन BJP चुनाव ईमानदारी से नहीं जीतती - वो वोट चोरी और संस्थाओं को कैद कर… pic.twitter.com/DlDmdYOl5i
"The country's youth work hard, dream, and fight for their future. But (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi is solely focused on his PR, getting celebrities to sing praises for him, and billionaire profits. It has become the government's identity to shatter the hopes of the youth and leave them frustrated," the former Congress chief said.
"Now, the situation is changing. India's youth understand that the real fight isn't just for jobs, but against vote theft. Because as long as elections are stolen, unemployment and corruption will continue to rise," he said.
Young people will no longer tolerate "job theft" or "vote theft", Gandhi asserted.
"The ultimate patriotism now lies in freeing India from unemployment and vote theft," he said.
Gandhi also shared a split screen video montage of police lathi-charging protesting students seeking jobs on one half of the screen and Prime Minister Modi planting saplings, feeding peacocks and practising Yoga on the other half of the screen.
