Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Monday, August 10, demanded that Union Home Minister Amit Shah clarify whether he authorised the alleged use of force against students during protests in Delhi, saying the Opposition’s demand was not for a general speech in Parliament but for accountability.
Gandhi said the issue was whether Shah had authorised the alleged firing of pellet guns and the use of force against students, including lathi-charges.
“The question was Mr. Amit Shah should come clean, did he order it or did he not order it?” Gandhi said.
He alleged that pellet guns were fired and students were beaten with lathis fitted with nails, and said Shah would be responsible if he had ordered the action. If he was unaware of the incident, Gandhi said, it would indicate incompetence on the Home Minister’s part.
“If he ordered it, he is guilty of getting our children shot and if he didn't know about it happening, he is incompetent, either way he should go,” Gandhi said.
Gandhi said the Opposition had raised three key demands. First, it wanted clarity on who was responsible and accountable for the action against students. Second, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should apologise for what had happened. Third, he raised an alleged issue concerning the theft of items from the Ram temple, saying Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had elaborated on the matter.
Responding to Shah’s reported willingness to speak in Parliament, Gandhi said the Opposition was not interested in what he described as “fantasy conversations” and wanted the Home Minister to first clarify whether he had authorised the alleged shooting.
“First he should make that abundantly clear, after that the question of any discussion arises,” Gandhi said, adding that this had been the Opposition’s demand for the past 15 days.
Gandhi also criticised Prime Minister Modi and Shah for not addressing the issue in Parliament.
“For 15 days, neither of them has had the courage — and I am saying courage and stressing courage — neither of them has had the courage to come to the House,” he said.
He accused the Prime Minister and Home Minister of failing to take responsibility for what he described as “brutality” against students in Delhi.
Gandhi said the conduct of the Prime Minister and Home Minister was something students should “see and understand”, alleging that neither had considered the action against them significant enough to address in Parliament.
