Rahul Gandhi says Amit Shah will have to answer for police action against students

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Sunday launched a sharp attack on Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the alleged use of batons and pellet guns against students protesting at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on July 20. In a post on X, Gandhi said Shah would "sooner or later" have to answer for the "crime."

Gandhi referred to a student he met at his 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' programme in Prayagraj on Saturday, who told him he had "no options left." The student, Gandhi said, had spent years preparing for examinations, sold family land, and left his parents burdened with debt. "This is not his failure, it is the failure of a system that refused to reward his hard work," Gandhi said.

The Opposition leader noted that several days had passed since students called off their agitation over paper leaks, but Shah had not spoken about the police action against them. "Batons and pellets were used against young people on the streets of the capital — and you did not utter a single word," he said.

The issue has disrupted Parliament, with the Opposition insisting that Shah make a statement in both Houses on the police action.

Speaking to reporters in Alappuzha, Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal also targeted Shah and defended Gandhi's student outreach in Prayagraj. He alleged that the BJP government attempted to disrupt the event. "Yogi Adityanath and Prime Minister Narendra Modi tried their best to disrupt that event in Allahabad. They even spread human waste along the path leading to the venue," he said.

Venugopal said the venue was initially denied after pressure was allegedly exerted on the college management, but permission was eventually granted. He claimed the turnout at the event reflected "India's real Gen Z," not typical party workers, and cited similar participation at programmes in Kota and Dehradun.

Venugopal also cited Gandhi's interventions on behalf of students affected by police action, including those injured by pellet guns and female students allegedly beaten by male police personnel.

Asked about senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor's remarks comparing the response to Gandhi's programme with the Jantar Mantar protests led by the Cockroach Janata Party, Venugopal said he had seen only media reports but urged party colleagues not to make statements that could "please the BJP." He added that he did not believe Tharoor had made the remarks deliberately.

Tharoor, speaking at an event in Maharashtra on Friday, had acknowledged that the party's student outreach did not resonate the same way as the CJP protests. A day later, he clarified he was stressing the need for political parties to open their doors and create pathways for the next generation to gain power.