Priyanka Gandhi slams police action on student protests; says “Entire country saw what happened”
New Delhi [India], July 29 (ANI): Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday criticised the police action against students protesting in the national capital, saying the entire country had witnessed the developments and raising concerns over the reported injuries suffered by demonstrators.
Speaking to reporters after the Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day, Priyanka Gandhi condemned the alleged use of force against students and highlighted the reported injuries during the protests.
"The entire country saw what happened. A student lost his eye," she said.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Praniti Shinde raised serious questions on the police action against student protesters in New Delhi, condemning the physical assault on women demonstrators and criticising top government ministers for celebrating.
"Injustice has been inflicted upon the students of the country, and women were beaten in a brutal manner. Who gave the order for this? While the entire country was mourning at RML Hospital, the education minister was being welcomed here. Are the BJP, the Prime Minister, and the Home Minister so terrified that they cannot face the country?"Praniti Shinde said.
Earlier in the day, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi alleged that Union Home Minister Amit Shah was either "culpable or incompetent" over the police action during the July 20 student protests and asserted that the Home Minister must explain his role in Parliament.
Speaking to reporters after the Lok Sabha was adjourned, Rahul Gandhi said there were only two possible explanations for the action on student protesters at Jantar Mantar on July 20.
"There can be two possible scenarios. One is that the Home Minister issued the order. The second is that the Home Minister was unaware that firing would take place. In the first case, he is culpable; in the second, he is incompetent--it has to be one of the two; there is no third possibility," Gandhi said.
"If the Home Minister didn't even know that shots were being fired, it means he is incompetent; otherwise, if he ordered it, he is culpable," he added.
Questioning Amit Shah's absence from the House during the debate, Gandhi said, "He didn't even come to the Parliament. Why is he not coming, supposedly the brave Home Minister of India? Why is he not in the House? If he has not done anything, did not give any order, then give an explanation that he didn't do it."
Emphasising his right to raise the issue in Parliament, he added, "It is my right to speak in the Parliament and they should give me this right."
His remarks came after the Lok Sabha witnessed heated exchanges during the discussion on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026. Gandhi had alleged that the Home Minister lacked the courage to be present in the House, prompting strong objections from the Treasury benches.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju termed Gandhi's allegations "unsubstantiated" and accused him of making baseless charges against a senior minister without evidence. Speaker Om Birla also cautioned the Leader of Opposition against making personal allegations without factual backing.
The House had earlier witnessed another confrontation after Rijiju objected to an expression used by Gandhi during his speech. Following objections from Treasury bench members and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Speaker Om Birla ordered the disputed expression to be expunged from the parliamentary record before adjourning the House amid the uproar. (ANI)
