Government refutes Rahul Gandhi's claim of minister-ordered police force on students
The central government denied Rahul Gandhi's allegation that Home Minister Amit Shah ordered police to fire on student protesters, stating only tear gas was used.
In a parliamentary session discussing a bill to tighten anti-paper-leak laws, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi claimed that Home Minister Amit Shah had authorised police to use lethal force against students protesting a NEET paper leak. Union minister Jitendra Singh responded that the crackdown on July 20 involved only tear-gas, with no shots fired, and that any directive to fire would have to come from a magistrate, not the minister.
Speaker Om Birla intervened, requesting proof for Gandhi's allegation and labeling the remarks unparliamentary. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju urged Gandhi to apologise, calling the accusation highly objectionable. Gandhi also asserted that the RSS had captured the education system, naming Dharmendra Pradhan as a figurehead, which further inflamed the debate.
Why it matters
The exchange highlights tensions between the opposition and government over handling of student protests and parliamentary decorum.
In this story
Related stories
11 in this thread