NEW DELHI: The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Wednesday demanded ‘answers’ from Union home minister Amit Shah over the July 20 police action against student protesters, citing allegations made by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha.CJP chief spokesperson Saurav Das shared on ‘X’ and wrote, “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.”
CJP chief spokesperson Saurav Das shared on ‘X’
The remarks came after Rahul, speaking during the Lok Sabha debate on the anti-paper leak bill, alleged that Shah was responsible for the police action against students protesting over the alleged NEET paper leak. “The home minister put the pellets into the blood of our students; he ordered the students of India to be shot,” Rahul claimed in the House. He also alleged that only the home minister or the Prime Minister “can authorise” such use of force. Rahul further questioned Shah’s absence from the debate, saying he had seen the home minister sitting in his car but that “he is not present in the Lok Sabha because he is scared.” Many of Rahul’s remarks in the Lok Sabha were later expunged by the Speaker. However, outside Parliament and later at a press conference, the Congress leader repeated the allegations and demanded Shah’s removal. “There can be just two options – the Home Minister gave the order for firing (at protesters), the other is that the Home Minister did not know that there will be firing,” Rahul told reporters. “In the first case, he is culpable. In the second case, he is incompetent, there can be no other option,” he said. At a press conference, Rahul alleged that Shah either “ordered that students be shot with pellet guns and beaten with lathis having nails” or was unaware of the action. “If he ordered it, he is culpable and if he did not know then he is incompetent,” he said, adding that pellet guns could not be used without the home minister’s permission. Claiming Shah was “guilty,” Rahul urged the government to remove him from office. “Our advice to the government is to sack Amit Shah and order an independent high-powered committee monitored by the Supreme Court” to investigate the matter, he said. “Shah must go, he has shot our students and he must be held accountable,” Rahul alleged. The BJP rejected the allegations, accusing Rahul of making false claims. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said Rahul was attempting to mislead the House by claiming Shah had ordered police firing during the protests. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra also denied the allegations. “Rahul Rahul said that bullets were fired at the students. He lied. No bullet was fired. He also lied that Home Minister Amit Shah ordered the firing,” Patra said. The exchange comes amid continued political sparring over the July 20 CJP-led protest march to Parliament and the police action against demonstrators.(With inputs from PTI)
