New Delhi: Reacting to allegations by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi in Parliament Wednesday, Union Minister Jitendra Singh clarified that Home Minister Amit Shah could not have ordered the use of force or firing on students protesting against the NEET question paper leak.
Singh said that no shots were fired, only tear gas was used at the Jantar Mantar protesters. He further said that Rahul Gandhi should be aware that orders are not issued by ministers but by magistrates, SDMs, or DMs.
“It was repeatedly clarified that no shots were fired; tear gas was used. Since no shots were fired, the question of issuing an order does not arise. The authority to issue such an order anyway rests with the magistrate, not the minister,” Singh said responding to opposition leader in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi who he said had claimed that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had given directions to open fire.
“Ye baar baar spasth kiya gaya ki goli chali hee nahi. Aansu gas (ka istemaal hua). Lekin jab goli chali hee nahi toh aadesh dene ka sawaal hee nahi paida hota. Aur aadesh dene ka adhikar magistrate ke paas rehta hai mantri ke paas nahi,” he said.
The minister further said that “utmost restraint was exercised” on 20 July during the Jantar Mantar protest.
“When such an important bill is being discussed, instead of offering suggestions, politics is being played over it. The unparliamentary language used by the Leader of the Opposition is shocking; it makes me wonder if he is even aware of basic parliamentary norms… What could be more unfortunate than calling the youth of this country—who are its future—’idiots’?” Singh said referring to the unparliamentary word used by Rahul Gandhi which was later expunged.
“If someone calls himself an idiot here, that’s also not allowed. The Leader of the Opposition does not know the basic norms of the House,” said Singh as he hit back at Gandhi’s remarks.
The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, aimed at implementing stricter provisions to prevent future paper leaks, was passed in the Lok Sabha Wednesday amid an Opposition walkout and furore over Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on Shah.
“Instead of engaging in a meaningful debate and offering constructive suggestions, the Opposition is trying to politicise the issue. I am particularly surprised by the conduct of the Leader of the Opposition. The words he used were not only unparliamentary but so inappropriate that I would not even repeat them here. If someone considers themselves educated and aware of parliamentary conventions, they would know that such language cannot be used inside the House. They may choose to say such things outside Parliament, but not within it. I am astonished that the Leader of the Opposition, who holds such an important constitutional position, appears to lack even a basic understanding of parliamentary norms and decorum,” he added.
Triggering sharp protests from BJP ministers Rajnath Singh and Kiren Rijiju, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi had targeted Amit Shah, questioning the Union home minister’s absence from the House during the debate.
“The Home Minister is not here today because he is scared. He authorised the shooting of the students,” Rahul Gandhi alleged.
Parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju said that Gandhi should produce evidence of the charges he levelled against the Union home minister Amit Shah.
Rahul Gandhi also used what he said was an 18-year-old student’s description to attack the government, describing three kinds of people—students, (unparliamentary word) and andhbhakts (blind followers).
Recounting a conversation, Rahul Gandhi said he had met the student during the ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ protests. Quoting Mahatma Gandhi, Rahul said the windows of a student’s house are always open because they are willing to listen and learn.
“Truth is sweet. A student keeps running after the truth. Like Mahatma Gandhi said, the windows of a student’s house are open to all winds. The hallmark of a student is that the student wears the truth on his own chest, proudly. The other type requires an image because the (unparliamentary word) is trying to pretend that he is God. These (unparliamentary word) don’t listen to what anyone says,” Gandhi said.
The remarks immediately drew objections from the BJP. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju accused Rahul Gandhi of using a student’s words to make unparliamentary insinuations against political opponents and urged the Chair to intervene. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also objected to the remarks and requested that the unparliamentary expressions be expunged from the record. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav backed Rahul Gandhi’s statement during the heated exchanges.
The Congress leader then trained his guns on the Centre’s education policy. “Our education system is terrible, it is cruel. There is rampant privatisation. The soul of the education system has been captured by the RSS,” Gandhi alleged.
“Students are really irritated about not being allowed to follow their passion, to ask questions they want to,” he said.
Rahul Gandhi further alleged that universities across India had RSS-backed leadership and claimed that the RSS, and not Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan exercised real control over the education system. He also claimed that every university in the country had an RSS-linked chancellor and argued that the ideological capture of educational institutions had undermined independent thinking.
Praising the recent student protests over the paper leaks, Rahul Gandhi said the demonstrations reflected hope rather than anger. “I was very excited and reassured by what the future of this country did on our streets. This was not anger, violence or hatred, but a deep expression of the youth of this country, of the future generation of this country,” he said.
Urging all political parties to respect students, Rahul Gandhi said BJP leaders should ask their own children what they thought about the protests. “If BJP leaders ask their children, they will know they agree with the students on the streets,” he remarked.
The house was adjourned after Rahul’s speech.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)