Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday, 27 July 2026, sharply attacked the central government over alleged police action against student protesters in multiple states, demanding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologise to the country's students and take action against those responsible for the crackdowns.

Context

In a post on X, Gandhi alleged that students demonstrating in Bihar were fired upon with AK-47 rifles and that hundreds were arrested and booked under FIRs. He also alleged that pellet guns were used against student protesters in Delhi. Translating his core charge: 'Chhātron ke khilāf pūrā kā pūrā system hī jānlevā hai' — 'The entire system is lethal against students.'

Gandhi directly addressed the Prime Minister, asking: 'Where has your promise gone that no FIR would be filed against students and that they would be released?' He accused the government of doing the opposite — launching what he called 'deadly attacks and brutality' on protesters.

Policy Backdrop

Gandhi identified a cross-state pattern, naming Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, and Delhi as locations where, he said, the same approach was being applied against student voices. He stated: 'The pattern is the same everywhere — first they make promises, then they go back on their word and use every tactic to suppress students.'

India has a documented history of police deployments during campus and youth-led protests. During the 2019–2020 agitation against the Citizenship Amendment Act, police action including lathi charges and detentions was reported at universities such as Jamia Millia Islamia and JNU in Delhi. In 2016, the government faced sustained criticism over the sedition case involving students at JNU. Critics have noted that such incidents have recurred across administrations and states governed by different parties.

Stakeholders and Impact

The immediate stakeholders are the student protesters and those arrested across the named states. Gandhi demanded two specific actions from the Prime Minister: a public apology to students, and punitive action against those who allegedly attacked and 'crushed' protesters — rather than against the students themselves.

The Indian National Congress has historically positioned itself as a defender of student dissent and campus freedoms. Gandhi's post reinforces that framing, calling the government 'dishonest' — 'yeh sarkār jhūṭhī hai' — and asserting that 'reform is beyond their capacity.'

What's Next

Parliamentary sessions could see formal questions on police conduct and student safety in the affected states. State-level inquiries into the specific protest incidents — particularly the alleged use of firearms in Bihar and crowd-control weapons in Delhi — may follow depending on political pressure. The opposition is likely to press for a statement from the government on the reported arrests and the alleged promise of non-prosecution of student demonstrators.