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Rahul Gandhi reiterated the Congress’s demand that Amit Shah should clarify who authorised the Delhi police to use pellet guns against protesters on July 20.
The Congress has demanded Amit Shah’s response on the police crackdown on CJP-led protests in New Delhi. (Agencies)
Congress on Monday reiterated its demand for Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s response to the opposition’s concerns over the police action against protesters on July 20, making it clear that the ongoing deadlock in Parliament would continue unless he addresses the House.
This came after Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said Home Minister Amit Shah is ready to respond to the opposition’s concerns, provided that the House is allowed to function properly.
During a press conference, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that the opposition had been consistently demanding Amit Shah’s involvement in a discussion over the treatment of student protesters in Delhi, including the police action during the July 20 march led by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP).
Rahul Gandhi said the Opposition did not want Shah to give a speech about some general topics in Parliament, but should clarify who authorised the Delhi police to use pellet guns and tear gas against protesters.
“Amit Shah suddenly saying that he is ready to speak. We are not interested in his fantasy conversations. We are interested in whether he authorised or didn’t authorise the shooting of our children. First, he should make that abundantly clear,” he added.
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Gandhi also alleged that neither Prime Minister Narendra Modi nor Amit Shah had responded to the party’s concerns. “No one is interested in his opinion; we just want to know who ordered the firing, and if he did not order it, then who in MHA ordered it? We want to understand: is there culpability or incompetence?” he added.
‘Rahul Gandhi Running Away’: Kiren Rijiju
Responding to Rahul Gandhi’s latest charge, Rijiju accused the Congress leader of “running away” and appealed for a straightforward discussion in the House without any theatrics.
“Now that the government is ready and the Home Minister is prepared to give a detailed account of all the events, Rahul Gandhi is running away. That is why I said in the House: do not run away, do not be afraid. You level allegations and then flee; this is not right in a democracy,” he told reporters.
Rijiju said the Centre was ready for a discussion on the issue on Tuesday, adding that the Congress party “must not run away”.
His remarks came after Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the current deadlock between the government and the Opposition would continue until Shah addresses the House.
The Opposition had been demanding a discussion over the treatment of students and protesters in Delhi. The police crackdown on protesters during the July 20 has become one of the major flashpoints between the opposing benches, with both Houses of Parliament facing repeated disruptions and adjournments.
Rahul Gandhi alleged that police used tear gas, lathis and pellet guns against protesters in Delhi, while student protesters in Bihar’s Siwan were fired upon with firearms. He questioned who had authorised what he described as “illegal and unconstitutional violence”.
About the Author
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in int…Read More
August 10, 2026, 18:30 IST
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