‘Reeks Of Guilt’: Rahul Gandhi Targets Amit Shah Over Parliament No-Show, Seeks Answers On Student Violence

Last Updated:July 30, 2026, 1:45 PM IST

Gandhi also demanded the constitution of an independent Supreme Court-monitored high-powered committee to investigate the brutalities against the students during the protests.

LoP in Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi addresses a press conference, in New Delhi. (Source: PTI)

Congress leader and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Thursday launched a fresh scathing attack on Home Minister Amit Shah over the use of pellet guns on the protesting students during the Cockroach Janta Party’s ‘Chalo Sansad’ march on July 20.

Taking to X, Gandhi questioned Shah’s absence from Parliament and said that his behaviour is reeking of “guilt”.

“Why is Amit Shah so scared of coming to Parliament and explaining the brutal violence against students? It reeks of guilt,” the Congress leader wrote.

Hours earlier, Gandhi also demanded the constitution of an independent Supreme Court-monitored high-powered committee to investigate the brutalities against the students during the protests.

“Students deserve justice. An independent SC monitored high powered committee must be constituted to probe brutalities against our students,” Gandhi said on X.

‘Amit Shah Authorised Shooting Of Students’: Rahul Gandhi

On Wednesday, Gandhi had raised similar accusations against Shah in the Lok Sabha and claimed that the home minister authorised the “shooting” at students during the CJP protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.

The remarks triggered strong objections from Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and other NDA MPs, who asked him to either furnish proof to support his accusation or apologise.

Speaking during the debate on the anti-paper leak bill, Gandhi had said that Shah doesn’t have the courage to sit in the parliament because he is scared.

He further alleged that the home minister “authorised the shooting of students” during the Jantar Mantar protests.

“The Home Minister ordered the shooting of our students. He put pellets into the blood of our students. He ordered the students of India to be shot,” said Gandhi.

Gandhi further stated that “the use of force can only be authorised by the Home Minister or the Prime Minister.”

Violence During CJP Protests

The controversy stems from the violence which erupted during the CJP ‘Chalo Sansad’ protest on July 20, with clashes breaking out between demonstrators and security personnel at multiple locations around Jantar Mantar and nearby areas.

According to Delhi Police, more than 65 protesters and over 200 police personnel were injured in the unrest. The alleged use of plastic pellets by security forces during the operation later became a major political flashpoint after reports claimed that several protesters had sustained grievous injuries.

A Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel fired seven rounds from a pellet gun during the protest in Delhi on July 20, with five pellets hitting protesters, an internal probe ordered by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has found, according to a report by The Indian Express.

The newspaper reported that at least three protesters were treated at hospitals for pellet gun injuries sustained during the march, which had turned violent as demonstrators attempted to move towards Parliament.

Meanwhile, the use of pellet guns and other non-lethal crowd-control measures during the ‘Chalo Sansad’ protest was authorised by Delhi Police and carried out in accordance with standard operating procedures (SOPs), according to a post-event review by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) accessed by The Times of India.

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Prisha Vibhavari

Prisha is the Chief Sub-Editor at News18.com, with more than 10 years of experience in national and international news. She specialises in editorial leadership, sharp news judgment, and high-impact st…Read More

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