New Delhi: Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi Wednesday demanded the removal of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, holding him responsible for the alleged police action against protesters during the ‘Sansad Chalo’ march.
The demand came after the government denied that any firing on protesters had taken place and that in any case such orders were not given by a minister but by the administration.
Addressing a press conference after a stormy day in Parliament, Rahul Gandhi urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to sack Shah and order a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the incident, alleging that students and protesters were subjected to excessive force by the Delhi Police and the Rapid Action Force (RAF).
Rahul Gandhi alleged that demonstrators were beaten with lathis, nail-studded batons, fired upon with pellet guns and attacked by men in plain clothes. He also claimed facial recognition technology was being used against protesters and questioned the identity of those allegedly involved in the violence.
“The Delhi Police and the RAF both report to Amit Shah. There are only two possibilities—either Amit Shah ordered the violence against innocent protesters or he was so incompetent that he had no idea it was being carried out. Irrespective, he should go,” Rahul Gandhi demanded.
Questioning the presence of unidentified men during the clashes, Gandhi asked, “Who were these people in civil clothes attacking the protesters? Who were these goons?” He further alleged that “Bajrang Dal is being used against our own students.”
The Congress leader also criticised the government’s handling of the education system, saying Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 passed in the Lok Sabha Wednesday failed to address the real problem. “This is a paper leak punishment Bill. It is just a rubber stamp on the students, its a bandaid,” he said, adding that if the BJP was genuinely serious about reforming education, “the RSS should be removed from the education system”.
Rahul Gandhi also accused the government of silencing him in Parliament when he attempted to raise the issue.
“I asked the Speaker multiple times for permission to speak. I wasn’t allowed to speak in Parliament. I said Amit Shah was responsible for the brutality that was carried out. I was given the assurance that if I apologised, I would be allowed to speak. I will never apologise to the BJP, the RSS or anyone affiliated to them,” he said.
“The most important issue for me is our students. People who are open-minded, who ask questions, were brutalised on the streets of Delhi. They were shot with pellet guns. The brutalisation of students is a fundamental issue, not just for them but for millions of people,” he added.
He further claimed he had seen Union Minister Jitendra Singh receiving repeated phone calls from Amit Shah inside Parliament while the developments were unfolding.
“When I was at Parliament House, I saw Jitendra Singh getting call after call from Amit Shah. If he didn’t know it was happening, he is incompetent.”
Taking a swipe at Shah for not responding in Parliament, Rahul Gandhi said, “He doesn’t have the guts to answer your questions. He won’t stand in front of you and take your questions,” he told journalists at the press conference.
Rahul Gandhi also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying, “Just because the Prime Minister is making reels, he thinks he can communicate with Gen Z. But the problem is your image. What you have done to the economy and to students is already out there.”
Assuring protesters that the Opposition would continue to pursue the issue, Rahul Gandhi said, “This is our guarantee that the guilty will pay. We demand that the Prime Minister sack Amit Shah and order a Supreme Court probe.”
(Edited by Viny Mishra)