Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday, July 26, 2026, accused Delhi police of using pellet guns, lathis, and tear gas against students who were peacefully protesting against paper leaks in competitive examinations, and directly addressed Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the crackdown.

Context

Gandhi said he personally met 19-year-old Sahil Lochab, a student he described as having been shot with pellets during the protest, with doctors warning that Lochab may lose an eye. The Leader of the Opposition framed Lochab's sole 'crime' as demanding an end to paper leaks and a fair future for students, and directed pointed questions at Home Minister Amit Shah in his post.

The post, which appears to be cut off mid-sentence, ends with Gandhi stating he has 'two' — leaving the remainder of his message unpublished or truncated in the original.

Policy Backdrop

Student protests over examination integrity have been a recurring flashpoint in India since the 2024 NEET paper leak scandal, which exposed systemic vulnerabilities in how national competitive examinations are conducted and secured. The controversy led to widespread public anger and demands for structural reform in bodies overseeing exams such as NEET and JEE.

Opposition parties, including the Indian National Congress, have consistently used the paper leak issue to press the ruling government on accountability, arguing that aspirants from economically weaker backgrounds bear the heaviest cost when examinations are compromised.

Stakeholders and Impact

At the centre of Gandhi's post is the human cost borne by individual students. The case of Sahil Lochab — a teenager allegedly blinded in one eye by a pellet — has become a focal point for opposition criticism of the police response's proportionality.

Lakhs of students preparing for national-level competitive examinations are directly affected by paper leak incidents, which invalidate months or years of preparation and delay career prospects. Student unions and civil society groups have repeatedly called for independent oversight of examination bodies and stricter anti-leak legislation.

The Ministry of Home Affairs, headed by Amit Shah, oversees central policing agencies and, in the context of Delhi — a union territory — holds significant influence over law-and-order decisions. Gandhi's direct address to Shah signals that the opposition intends to hold the Home Ministry accountable for the alleged use of force.

What's Next

Any formal response from the Ministry of Home Affairs or Delhi police authorities regarding the use of crowd-control measures against the student protesters will be closely watched. The monsoon session of Parliament provides an immediate legislative arena where opposition members are likely to raise the issue, potentially through adjournment motions or zero-hour notices focused on examination reform and police conduct.

With Gandhi's post reaching a wide audience and the image of an injured teenager at its core, pressure is likely to mount on the government to clarify the sequence of events and the orders under which force was deployed.