Rahul Gandhi said Amit Shah was either "culpable or incompetent" over the alleged police firing on student protesters at Jantar Mantar on July 20.
The remarks came during a Lok Sabha debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026.
Gandhi alleged that police used pellet guns against student protesters with the Home Minister's authorisation. Kiren Rijiju rejected the allegation, calling it unsubstantiated and asking Gandhi to provide evidence.
Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and the Treasury benches clashed in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday over the police response to student protesters at Jantar Mantar on July 20. After the House was adjourned, Gandhi told reporters that Union Home Minister Amit Shah was either "culpable or incompetent" in connection with the incident.
According to ANI, Gandhi said there were only two possibilities: either Shah had authorised the alleged police firing on the protesters, making him "culpable", or he was unaware of it, making him "incompetent". He said there was "no middle ground".
He also pressed on why Shah had stayed away from the debate altogether, saying that if the Home Minister had nothing to hide, he should have shown up and accounted for himself. Gandhi maintained he was well within his rights as LoP to press the issue on the floor of the House.
Reacting after the session, Gandhi said on X that "I raised the issue of the brutality inflicted on students in Delhi and named the one responsible - Home Minister Amit Shah."
He announced that because "the BJP did not let him speak," he would hold a press conference at 6 PM the same day to say what he was stopped from saying inside the House.
Remarks On Dharmendra Pradhan
The remarks capped a session that had already turned tense during discussion of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026.
Earlier in his speech, Gandhi said he viewed the recent student protests as a positive expression of youth participation rather than a cause for concern. He urged all parties, including the BJP, to respect what he described as a genuine expression of the younger generation's aspirations.
"I am pretty certain that if my friends in BJP were to go and ask their own children what they felt about what their brothers and sisters were doing, they would find agreement among their own children," he said.
He also criticised the education system, describing it as "cruel" and likening it to an "extortion racket". Gandhi further alleged that the system had been "hollowed out" by the RSS.
Referencing Rajnath Singh's earlier comment that BJP ministers don't resign, Gandhi argued that Dharmendra Pradhan's exit from the Education Ministry changed little in practice.
The LoP said, "Resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan is superficial because Dharmendra Pradhan never ran the Education Ministry." According to Gandhi, an RSS-linked OSD, not Pradhan, effectively controlled the ministry.
Pellet-Firing Allegation
Gandhi also said he was glad Home Minister Amit Shah was absent from the Lok Sabha during the debate. Referring to Shah's departure, Gandhi said, "I saw his motorcade and the Home Minister sitting inside the car, looking, shaking. Why is the Home Minister not here today? Because he is scared."
He also alleged that Shah had authorised the use of force, including pellet guns, against the student protesters and held him responsible for the alleged police action.
Rijiju objected immediately, demanding to know Gandhi's source for the claim and calling it an unsubstantiated allegation that breached the responsibilities of his own position as LoP. He asked Gandhi to withdraw the remark.
Rijiju Accuses Gandhi
Speaking to reporters afterwards, Rijiju took particular issue with Gandhi's choice of words, saying he had resorted to language that was "undemocratic and abusive" and out of place in proper parliamentary discourse.
Rijiju said differences of opinion were natural and even expected, but argued they ought to be expressed civilly, describing Gandhi's tone as demeaning and harmful both to democratic norms and to the country's image.
Through the exchange, Rijiju maintained that Gandhi's allegations were baseless and unfairly targeted a senior minister without evidence, and Speaker Om Birla similarly cautioned Gandhi against making unverified personal accusations.
Amid continued objections from Treasury bench members and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Birla ordered the disputed portion of Gandhi's remarks struck from the record before adjourning the House as the uproar continued.
