‘Why is Shah scared of Parl?:Rahul seeks SC-monitored independent probe into student crackdown

Congress leader and LoP in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday demanded an independent, Supreme Court-monitored high-powered committee to investigate the alleged police action against student protesters. Sharing a video on X, Gandhi said students deserved justice and called for an impartial probe into the alleged ‘brutalities’ during the July 20 Cockroach Janta Party-led ‘Sansad Chalo’ march and protests in other parts of the country. “Students deserve justice. An independent SC-monitored high-powered committee must be constituted to probe brutalities against our students,” he wrote. Questions Amit Shah’s absence In another tweet, the Congress leader also questioned the absence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah from Parliament. “Why is Amit Shah so scared of coming to Parliament and explaining the brutal violence against students? It reeks of guilt,” he said in another post on X. A day earlier, Gandhi had demanded Shah’s resignation, alleging that he was responsible for the police action against student protesters. He claimed that if Shah had ordered the use of pellet guns, he should resign. If he was unaware of their use, Gandhi said, it reflected incompetence. Remarks trigger political row Gandhi made the allegations in the Lok Sabha during a debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, which proposes stricter punishment for exam paper leaks. He accused Shah of being responsible for alleged police excesses against student protesters. His remarks sparked protests from treasury bench members, and several comments were later expunged from the parliamentary record by the Speaker. Outside Parliament, Gandhi repeated his allegations and renewed his demand for a Supreme Court-monitored inquiry. BJP hits back The BJP rejected Gandhi’s allegations, accusing him of making baseless claims and misleading Parliament. The party also demanded that he apologise for what it described as false accusations against the Union home minister. Opposition stages protest The remarks came as MPs from several INDIA bloc parties staged a protest at Makar Dwar in the Parliament complex. Holding placards and raising slogans, the MPs demanded accountability for the alleged police action on students during the July 20 protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. They also raised the issue of the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya. Congress Rajya Sabha MP Syed Naseer Hussain said the Opposition had sought the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, a statement from the government on the alleged police action, and an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also said Amit Shah should answer questions in Parliament because the Delhi Police functions under the Union Home Ministry. Anti-paper leak Bill in Rajya Sabha The Opposition protest came ahead of the introduction of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 in the Rajya Sabha. The Bill proposes tougher punishment for examination-related offences, the creation of a Special Task Force to investigate such cases, and Special Fast Track Courts for quicker trials.