Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Shri Rahul Gandhi’s Special Press Briefing

New Delhi: In a special briefing at the Party headquarters Indira Bhawan on July 29, 2026, Leader of Opposition Shri Rahul Gandhi said that since he was not being allowed to speak in the Lok Sabha despite being the Leader of Opposition, he had to specially appear before the media to put forth his point of view. He demanded the dismissal of Union Home Minister Amit Shah for authorising the attack on peacefully protesting students. Shri Rahul Gandhi held him directly responsible for ordering the use of pellet guns, shock batons, lathis with nails and also using the plainclothes men against the students.

Leader of Opposition Shri Rahul Gandhi also said that the balloon of Modi’s fake image had already burst. He said that huge money and resources were used to keep that balloon floating, but it has already burst.

“There are only two possibilities: either Shah ordered the use of lethal weapons or he was not aware of it. He is either culpable or incapable and in both cases, he has to go”, he added. Asserting that Home Minister Shri Amit Shah did not have the courage to face Parliament, he said that is the reason he could not come to the parliament. “If he was not guilty, he could have come and stated so”, he noted, adding, “our advice to govt. is to remove Amit Shah and order an independent high-powered committee monitored by the Supreme Court to probe the attack on students and his role.” He said that Amit Shah will be held accountable in any case, today or tomorrow.

Besides, Shri Rahul Gandhi added, the fake hero-like image of Amit Shah that had been created, has already been shattered. He said that he has no guts to face the Parliament. “But we are not going to let him get away with it”, he remarked.

Making it unambiguously and categorically clear that he will never ever apologise to the RSS, the BJP and people associated with them, he said that he was told in Parliament that he could speak only after apologising, which he refused to do.

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Shri Rahul Gandhi reaffirmed and reiterated his solidarity and support for the students being targeted by the government through face recognition technology. He said that the government had also unleashed the Bajrang Dal activists against the students to harass and intimidate them. He pointed out that both the Delhi Police and Rapid Action Force of the CRPF, which were involved in atrocities on students, reported to the Home Minister. He said that on July 25, he had written to the Home Minister, asking two direct questions but had not received any acknowledgement or answer from him.

He also assured the students who became victims of police brutality of getting justice for them. He said that maybe not today, but in due course of time, all those policemen and officers who brutalised the students will be held to account. He said that the Congress has all the video recordings, which will be preserved.

On a question on the Public Examinations Amendment Bill, he said that it was not worth discussing. He said that it does not mention how to stop paper leaks, but only provides for increased punishment. That means, he explained, the government expects paper leaks in future also. He asked - what is the point of increasing the quantum of punishment when nobody has been convicted. “The bill is not even like a band-aid when you need a surgery,” he remarked, adding, “the bill has been put in place so that the RSS can escape.”

On a question that when the students called off the protest, one of their demands was that no action will be taken against the students, but FIRs are being filed, so how do you plan to take it up, Shri Rahul Gandhi- I am doing this press conference right now, because I am concerned about that. I am concerned that in the shadows, silently the Home Minister… I know his approach and his thinking… and the establishment are right now attacking the students, who were on ‘dharna’. They are using facial recognition; they are threatening them. Bajrang Dal is beating them up, is being used against them. And that is why I am standing here today, because I want to bring attention to this. And I want every single student and their parents to know that the government is doing this. These are our children. They are our future and the government has no business attacking them, threatening them, beating them… even touching them. They have not done any crime. If they had done some crime, I would be the first person to say - they have done a crime, they should be punished… but these boys and girls have done nothing wrong. They cannot and should not be punished. In response to a question—noting that Jitendra Singh stated in the House that no shooting took place and no bullets were fired, so the question of orders does not arise, and Kiren Rijiju remarked that you did not speak on the bill at all, were misleading the House, and were engaging in politics. Are you satisfied with the bill that has been passed? Shri Rahul Gandhi said, “Look, as far as pellet guns are concerned...pellet gun is a lethal weapon. At close range, pellet gun can kill a person... pellet gun can blind a person.”

I arranged for you and the press to speak with a victim of a pellet gun... You must have seen it with your own eyes—there were pellets in his body, pellets in his eye. The report from the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences states: “Patient has been shot by a pellet gun.” So, who fired it? And this isn’t just one individual; there are many people who have been hit by pellet guns. I have presented evidence to you, yet they claim I am lying. I brought the person right before you; I saw the pellets with my own eyes—his entire body is riddled with them. I spoke to the doctor, who said, “There are pellets; we are unable to extract them, and the eye is ruptured.” Yet Mr. Rijiju says I am lying, and the government claims they never even used pellet guns! So, will you go by the proof or by empty words? What do you expect—for me to bring the actual rifle here?

About the Bill... the bill is not worth discussing. What are the students saying? The students are saying that the education system does not work, our papers are leaked. We go through extreme pain and discomfort… it is too expensive. And what is the government response? We will increase the punishment from 1 year to 10 years. What difference are you making? You don’t punish anyone anyway. Nobody has been convicted. To date, there hasn’t been a single conviction, yet you are proposing to increase the penalty from one year to ten years! And in the bill, you are stating that you will raise the term from one year to ten years because you anticipate that paper leaks will occur! That is what the bill is saying. The bill is saying that we accept paper leaks, and we will punish those people who do paper leaks. We are saying – no, we don’t accept paper leaks… change the system so that there are no paper leaks…. remove the RSS from the infrastructure of education, remove the VCs who have been appointed by the RSS. So, the bill is a band-aid, not even a band-aid, when you need a surgery. And the bill has been put in place so that the RSS can escape… that is the whole idea. Responding to another question—about how you are not allowed to speak on the streets, are dragged away, have your microphone switched off in Parliament, and are asked to apologize—and asked what options remain for you to make your point, Shri Rahul Gandhi said: “As for options... the entire path is open. There are unlimited options; you can see that. There is certainly no shortage of options... there are various ways to speak. What I said in Parliament today—an image has been created...Amit Shah is the hero of the nation, Narendra Modi is like God “…They have created a balloon—thousands of crores of rupees have gone into it. To keep it afloat, air has to be pumped into it every day. They use you people, they use the media... and the security forces—the RAF, the Delhi Police—just to ensure the balloon doesn’t burst! Why are children being beaten? Why are children being intimidated? All to protect an image—to ensure ‘they’ don’t return. But they fail to grasp the reality: the balloon has already burst. The Prime Minister shows up at midnight...thinking that just because he puts the phone in front of his (face) like this (holding phone close to his face) he suddenly becomes… he is able to communicate to Gen Z... No! The problem is your image; the problem is what you have done to the students; the problem is how you have destroyed their future; the problem is what you have done to the economy... that’s the problem and that image is gone.

So, field is open for us… and I really thank the students, I am very proud of them. And I don’t like saying this - they had the courage that their parents did not have. I am sure many of your children were in the protests. They had the courage that you did not have. And I am proud of every single Indian student who did it.

On another question do you expect that Home Minister will make a statement in the House, or will you continue this demand, Shri Rahul Gandhi said- No! No! We will demand it, but the fact of the matter is the Home Minister doesn’t have the guts to come to Parliament. Home Minister doesn’t have the guts to stand in front of you like this. Home Minister would run away if he had to stand in front of you like this… he just runs (away). So, we don’t expect him to come, but we do understand that he is responsible and we are not going to let him get away with it. When asked further how far he would take this fight, Shri Rahul Gandhi said, “As far as it needs to be taken…But the person who has done this... he has shot our students, he is going to be held accountable… today or tomorrow.

In response to a question about the future parliamentary strategy, Shri Rahul Gandhi said, “No, we decide that in consultation with the opposition. Regarding the floor strategy in Parliament... we hold meetings—every morning—and decisions are made there. We generally act based on consensus.”