The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Wednesday evening raised concerns over the use of force during the July 20 protest crackdown and Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s “role”, citing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s allegations in the Lok Sabha.
Event Context
Speaking in the House during the anti-paper leak debate, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha had claimed that the home minister “put the pellets into the blood of our students; he ordered the students of India to be shot.”
Gandhi also alleged that only the home minister or the Prime Minister “can authorise” the use of force. The Congress leader claimed he saw Amit Shah sitting in his car, but he is not present in the Lok Sabha because “he is scared.”
Citing Rahul Gandhi’s comments, CJP’s chief spokesperson Saurav Das took to X and said, “This raises serious concerns about the Home Minister’s role in July 20 Police Brutality case. He must be held accountable. Every life is precious. A student lost his vision for life at the Home Minister’s order! Answer now.”
Referring to the July 20 protest crackdown and the alleged use of pellet guns, Gandhi said that either the home minister gave the firing order, or he was not aware that there would be firing.
The Congress leader said Shah would be “incompetent” if he were unaware of the firing.
As soon as Rahul Gandhi levelled charges against Amit Shah in the Lok Sabha, a massive uproar broke out on the Treasury benches. Parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju immediately objected to the LoP’s remarks and asked on what basis he was making the allegation.
“You claimed that the home minister had ordered firing. Show us the order. How can you make such irresponsible statements?” asked Rijiju.
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He also asked Rahul Gandhi to apologise and retract his remarks, as such remarks constitute a serious allegation and a breach of Amit Shah’s privilege.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla also underlined the rules of the House, saying that allegations are not allowed in the Parliament without prior notice and proof.
Several allegations surfaced over the alleged use of pellet guns during the protest crackdown. The same was confirmed by a dairy entry at the Parliament Street police station, which has recorded that at least two rounds of pellets were used on July 20 on the orders of a deputy superintendent of the Delhi Police.
The dairy entry, recorded at 1:24am on July 22 by a Delhi Police sub-inspector and seen by HT, is the first document to show the usage of pellets during the students’ protest march to Parliament on July 20.
Replying to Rahul Gandhi’s remarks in the debate on the anti-paper leak bill, Union minister Jitendra Singh said that the Congress leader had little experience in life.
Singh said that without facts and a sense of responsibility, saying something in the House and then leaving the premises, “cannot be the behaviour of a responsible leader of opposition.”
Singh also said that no shots were fired and informed that only tear gas was used.
“Jab goli chali hi nahi, toh aadesh dene ka sawal hi paida nahi hota; aur aadesh dene ka adhikar magistrate ke pass rahta hai, mantri ke pas nahi” (when there were no shots fired, the question of authorising it does not arise, and the directive to open fire is given by the magistrate, not a minister),” he said.
To be sure, this is the first time since the July 20 protest that the Centre has announced that no firing was done.
(with inputs from Saubhadra Chatterji)
Team Analysis
Later, speaking to reporters outside the Parliament, Rijiju stated that the government was “extremely upset” for two reasons: First, Rahul Gandhi failed to make any substantive intervention on the paper leak bill itself, and second, he made misleading and ‘unparliamentary’ remarks against the home minister.
The Parliamentary Affairs minister asserted that ministers do not issue orders for police firing, stating that such decisions fall under the jurisdiction of the magistrate or the Sub-divisional Magistrate (SDM) present at the spot.
The row over the conduct of security forces during the July 20 student protest has snowballed into a massive controversy and a political slugfest after the CJP called off their more than month-long protest last week following Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation.
