Rahul Gandhi accused Amit Shah of ordering force against protesting NEET students.
His allegation triggered uproar, with BJP leaders demanding proof or an apology.
Kiren Rijiju objected to Gandhi’s remarks and sought proof or apology.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday accused Union Home Minister Amit Shah of ordering the use of force against students during the NEET protests, triggering a sharp confrontation in the Lower House during the debate on the new anti-paper leak bill.
The allegation drew immediate protests from BJP MPs, with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju demanding that Gandhi either substantiate his charge or withdraw it and apologise.
The Opposition has repeatedly targeted the Narendra Modi-led government over its handling of the student protests that began with the Cockroach Janta Party and other students gathering at Delhi's Jantar Mantar over alleged examination paper leaks.
Tensions intensified following the police action during the protesters' July 20 march towards Parliament. The controversy over the alleged use of pellet guns also gathered momentum after a Parliament Street police station diary entry confirmed their use.
Rahul Gandhi Targets Amit Shah Over Police Action
During his Lok Sabha speech, Gandhi directly blamed Shah for the force used against protesting students.
"The home minister ordered the shooting of our students. He put the pellets into the blood of our students. He ordered the students of India to be shot," Gandhi said.
He further alleged that such an operation could not have taken place without authorisation from the home minister.
Earlier in his speech, Gandhi questioned Shah's absence from the House and claimed that the home minister had "no courage". He also said Amit Shah was "scared".
The remarks prompted loud protests from the Treasury benches, with BJP leaders challenging Gandhi to produce evidence linking Shah directly to the police action.
Rijiju Demands Proof Or Apology
Kiren Rijiju repeatedly intervened during Gandhi's address and objected to both his allegations against Shah, demanding an apology from the LoP while terming the allegations as “false”.
"How can you say such a thing? Do you understand how serious this allegation is? Rahul, this is very serious. You will have to apologise. Either clarify your statement or withdraw your words. You have made a very serious and false allegation. This is extremely serious. Please do not do this. What you have said is completely wrong". Rijiju said.
Gandhi Accuses RSS Of Controlling Education System
Before turning his attack towards Shah, Gandhi also criticised former Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and alleged that the education system had effectively been taken over by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
He claimed RSS-linked ideologues had been appointed as vice-chancellors in several central universities and alleged that the organisation sought to shape students into unquestioning followers.
According to Gandhi, this ideological influence was also among the issues students were resisting through their protests.
'Andhbhakt' Remark Sparks Fresh Protest
Strong protest also erupted when Gandhi recounted what he described as a conversation with a student about the protests.
"She said the student wears the truth on his/her chest proudly. I said, what about the other type? She said the other type requires an image. It requires an image and as the image is not true because the idiot is trying to pretend that he is God, he has to create this massive image. I asked her a question, where does the third category go? That of 'Andhbhakt'. She said, 'Andhbhakt' is a person who is absolutely convinced that another idiot is God." Gandhi said.
Rijiju immediately objected to the language and sought its removal from the parliamentary record.
"Had Rahul Gandhi not used unparliamentary word, nobody would have objected. I believe that he is using a word in the name of a student, but it is he who is using it. He cannot use unparliamentary word, it should be expunged..." he said.
Rajnath Singh Calls For Order In The House
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also intervened as the exchanges grew increasingly heated.
"I humbly request that the unparliamentary word used by the LoP be expunged and I urge to everyone on my side to maintain silence and listen to him," Singh said.
