Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has announced that he will not celebrate his birthday this year because of the reported police lathi charge on students during a recent protest.
Calling the incident “deeply disturbing,” Kharge said he’d rather see the students’ well-being and democratic rights protected than his own celebrations.
Kharge expressed solidarity with those injured during the protest in a statement on social media. “The reports and visuals of police action against young protesters were painful and raised serious concerns about the treatment of students exercising their democratic right to express their views,” he said.
Kharge pleaded with Congress workers and supporters at all levels of Congress to not hold celebrations of his birthday, or hold public functions in his honor.
The chief of the Congress emphasized that educational institutions should be places of learning, discussion and dialogue and not conflict. Students should be heard through constructive engagement instead of violence during protests, he said.
The alleged lathi charge has also triggered political reactions from some opposition leaders who have demanded accountability and have called for an impartial investigation into the incident. Youth have a constitutional right to peacefully express their concerns and excessive force should never be the first response to public demonstrations, they say.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge Ji has chosen solidarity over celebration.
— Amock (@Politicx2029) July 21, 2026
Shaken by the police brutality against Gen Z protesters, he will not celebrate his birthday.
Instead, he will fight for justice and demand Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation inside Parliament and on… pic.twitter.com/0JvflFB0fl
But authorities have defended the police response, saying that the security personnel acted according to the situation on the ground. Security personnel had taken action to maintain law and order after the protest escalated, officials said. Opposition parties are questioning the official version and have sought greater transparency regarding the events that unfolded.
Kharge’s decision to boycott his birthday has attracted attention from the political sphere. Students are taking up the cause as a show of solidarity. Political observers say it is the Congress party’s attempt to expose the problems of young people.
The incident also reopened debates about how to handle student protests in India. Universities have long been at the forefront of political debate and civic involvement and most education experts believe that student and teacher dialogue is what makes it possible to resolve disputes in an open dialogue between students and their authorities.
And so the issue will continue to be a political issue. Opposition leaders are calling for the government to guarantee that students can exercise their democratic rights free from violence and authorities are answering that call to action by asserting their authority to maintain the public order.
Kharge ended his message by calling for citizens to stand with students and defend democracy, peaceful protest and constitutional rights.
