INDIA Bloc Marches in Parliament, Demands Amit Shah’s Reply on Student Protest Crackdown
INDIA bloc MPs staged a march inside the Parliament complex, demanding that Union Home Minister Amit Shah answer allegations of excessive police action during the July 20 'Sansad Chalo' student protest, while the government maintained that police acted after sections of the crowd turned violent.
NEW DELHI- Opposition parties under the INDIA bloc staged a protest march inside the Parliament complex on Wednesday, demanding that Union Home Minister Amit Shah make a statement in Parliament regarding the alleged police action against students during the July 20 “Sansad Chalo” demonstration.
The march, led by Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress President and Rajya Sabha Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, proceeded from the Gandhi statue at Prerna Sthal to Makar Dwar. Protesters carried placards and a large banner reading “Amit Shah Jawaab Do”, while raising slogans demanding accountability for the police action.
Besides the student protest issue, the Opposition also raised concerns over the alleged misappropriation of Ram Temple donation funds in Ayodhya.
Several senior leaders from INDIA bloc parties joined the demonstration, including Samajwadi Party MPs Dimple Yadav and Dharmendra Yadav, Trinamool Congress MPs Mahua Moitra and Sagarika Ghose, NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule, JMM MP Mahua Maji, RSP MP N.K. Premachandran, along with several other Members of Parliament.
The protest centres on the events of July 20, when students participating in the “Sansad Chalo” march over alleged irregularities and paper leaks in national examinations, including NEET-UG, attempted to move from Jantar Mantar towards Parliament. The Opposition alleges that Delhi Police used excessive force, including tear gas, baton charges and pellet guns, resulting in injuries to several protesters. It has also claimed that one student suffered serious eye injuries due to the alleged use of pellet guns.
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Delhi Police, however, has maintained that force was used only after sections of the crowd turned violent during the demonstration.
Rahul Gandhi has repeatedly demanded accountability from the Home Minister, describing the police action as a “barbaric assault” on peacefully protesting students. He has sought answers on whether pellet guns and other forceful measures were authorised, questioned the deployment of plain-clothes personnel during the operation, and called for a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into the incident.
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Other Opposition leaders echoed similar demands. Congress MP K.C. Venugopal questioned who ordered the police action, while Priyanka Gandhi Vadra stated that those responsible for ordering lathi charges, tear gas and alleged pellet gun use must be held accountable. Mallikarjun Kharge called upon both the Prime Minister and the Home Minister to make statements in Parliament regarding the incident.
The protests disrupted proceedings in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, leading to repeated adjournments amid slogan shouting. Opposition parties also submitted adjournment motions and Rule 267 notices seeking a discussion on the alleged use of excessive force against student demonstrators.
While the Opposition has continued to demand a detailed statement from the Home Minister, the government has not issued a specific response in Parliament addressing the allegations in the manner sought by Opposition members. The police have maintained that their actions were taken to control violence during the protest.
The issue has emerged as one of the principal flashpoints of the ongoing Monsoon Session, with Opposition parties linking it to broader concerns over examination reforms, student rights and government accountability.
