Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the opposition in India, strongly criticized Home Minister Amit Shah, demanding his removal due to alleged police brutality against student protestors in Delhi on July 20. Gandhi asserted that Shah was either culpable for ordering the violence or incompetent for being unaware of it, stating there was no in-between. He emphasized that in either scenario, Shah must resign.
Gandhi detailed the severity of the police action, stating that protestors were shot with pellet guns, with one student potentially losing an eye, and that shock batons and lathis with nails were used. He cited an AIIMS medical certificate as proof of pellet gun injuries. Gandhi further alleged that police officers were seen slapping minors and that the Bajrang Dal was mobilized to intimidate students.
The protests stemmed from irregularities in competitive examinations, with the 'Sansad March' organized by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on July 20 intensifying the movement. Gandhi called for a Supreme Court-monitored independent investigation into the police action and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to apologize to the students for the violence and the systemic issues in education and job creation that underpinned the protests.
Gandhi also questioned Shah directly in a letter, asking if he approved the use of lethal force, including pellet guns, and queried the identity and authorization of individuals in plain clothes beating students. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh have objected to Gandhi's allegations, calling them baseless.
