Rahul Gandhi (Congress) alleged that Home Minister Amit Shah (BJP) ordered the use of pellet guns against students protesting exam irregularities.
The accusation has intensified the political deadlock during the 2026 [1] monsoon session of Parliament, highlighting deep divisions over the government's handling of civil unrest and student rights.
Gandhi raised the issue in the Lok Sabha in New Delhi, linking the alleged orders to police crackdowns on students who were protesting against alleged exam-paper leaks [1], [2]. The Congress leader said that the Home Minister was responsible for the decision to use such force against the demonstrators [2].
The BJP responded by calling the allegations unsubstantiated. Party members demanded an immediate apology from Gandhi, saying that the claims lacked factual basis and were intended to disrupt the parliamentary proceedings [1], [2].
Members of the Congress party defended Gandhi's remarks. They said the leader was referring to documented reports of pellet-gun use during the protests, and that the Home Minister's office oversees the security apparatus involved in such operations [1], [2].
The confrontation led to significant ruckus within the chamber, with Gandhi further describing Shah as "scared" during the exchange [3]. This verbal clash contributed to the broader chaos characterizing the current legislative session, as opposition members and government representatives clashed over the validity of the claims [1], [3].
Parliamentary officials attempted to maintain order as the debate shifted from the specific allegations regarding pellet guns to a wider dispute over the conduct of the opposition in the house [1].
“Rahul Gandhi alleged that Home Minister Amit Shah ordered pellet guns to be fired at students.”
This clash reflects the escalating tension between India's ruling BJP and the opposition Congress party over the use of force by security agencies. By directly accusing the Home Minister of ordering specific weaponry against students, Gandhi is attempting to frame the government's response to academic grievances as a systemic human rights violation, while the BJP's demand for an apology seeks to delegitimize the opposition's oversight of internal security.
