Congress leader and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi triggered a sharp confrontation in the Lok Sabha on 29 July after alleging that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had a role in 'opening fire on student protesters' — prompting the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to demand a public apology and label the charges 'false'. The Congress, in turn, called on Shah to appear before the House and defend himself.

How the Confrontation Unfolded

Gandhi made the accusation during the debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, which the Lower House subsequently passed. The allegation drew an immediate and fierce response from treasury benches, with NDA members demanding the Opposition leader retract his remarks.

What the NDA Said

Speaking to reporters outside Parliament House, Union Minister Piyush Goyal launched a pointed attack on Gandhi: 'Some people simply cannot be cured. For the Leader of the Opposition to make such a baseless and false statement on the floor of the House, when no firing took place, and then to level such baseless allegations inside Parliament, I strongly condemn it.'

Goyal went further, questioning Gandhi's conduct during the Bill debate: 'I believe Rahul Gandhi has nothing else to say. We saw that for an hour he did not speak about the Bill. He could not utter a single word related to the subject under discussion. His speech was nothing but a bundle of lies. He is frustrated because the Centre thought about the students and also because the students did not give him credit.' He also accused Gandhi of 'misusing the Parliament.'

Union Minister of State and Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Chief Harsh Malhotra described Gandhi's conduct as 'anarchist' both inside and outside Parliament. 'These are people who do not believe in any law. He kept on using unparliamentary words despite repeated interventions by the Speaker. Moreover, he put allegations against the Union Home Minister without any proof. Either he should apologise or provide evidence that supports his remark,' Malhotra said.

Congress Hits Back

Congress MP KC Venugopal backed Gandhi's position and redirected the demand for accountability toward the Home Minister. 'What Rahul Gandhi has said is very clear. Delhi Police is totally under the control of the Home Ministry of India, isn't it? Whom does the Delhi Police Commissioner take order from? It is from Home Ministry only. Then, Home Minister himself is responsible. That is why he is not coming to the House,' he said.

Venugopal also questioned Shah's continued absence from Parliamentary proceedings: 'If Rahul Gandhi is making the allegation, the way out is that the Home Minister should come to the House and explain that he has not ordered the firing... why is he not coming to the House?' He further remarked that the NDA's push for an apology reflected 'guilty conscience' on their part.

On the NDA's apology demand, Venugopal countered: 'Let them apologise to the students and the nation... let them apologise for using pellet guns.'

The Broader Context

The row comes amid ongoing tensions between the ruling alliance and the Opposition over the government's handling of student protests. The confrontation underscores a recurring pattern in the current session — debates on legislative business being overtaken by political accusations on the floor of the House. With Home Minister Shah yet to address the allegations directly, the standoff is unlikely to subside before the next sitting.