Home Minister responsible for police brutality on students, ‘Jan Shakti’ will drag him out: Kharge
Holding Home Minister Amit Shah responsible for alleged police brutalities on protesting students, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday
Holding Home Minister Amit Shah responsible for alleged police brutalities on protesting students, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday (July 30, 2026) said that "Jan Shakti" (people's power) will "drag him out" one day to make him accountable. Speaking on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, Mr. Kharge criticised the absence of the Prime Minister and the Home Minister from the House, saying neither had spoken despite so much unrest. "You are the Home Minister, and despite so much unrest, you are not opening your mouth. Has someone stitched it? He should have spoken openly," Mr. Kharge said. "In the interest of the nation, he should have borne that insult," he added. Kharge warned the government, stating that the students of the country will teach a bigger lesson than the one they have taught it just now. Parliament Monsoon Session: Follow LIVE updates on July 30, 2026 Kharge said that if the Home Minister could not answer questions about who ordered the lathi-charge and tear-gas attack on students, and who the people in plain clothes beating students were, then the Home Minister should resign. "I felt ashamed. I don't know if they (indicating towards NDA MPs) felt ashamed," he said. He also raised the issue of police action in states, such as West Bengal and Bihar, alleging that students were fired upon with AK-47 rifles. When Mr. Kharge made some references from Manu Smriti, NDA MPs opposed it, and Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha J.P. Nadda said they were not factual and could create discord in society. Mr. Kharge alleged that the government brought the Bill against paper leaks to pacify the country's youth, not to address the issue, as the government has not explained how it would conduct examinations in a way that could prevent paper leaks.
He said that provisions for higher fines, stricter punishment, and fast-track courts would not make any difference in cases of paper leaks. What would make a difference, he argued, is how the government conducts these examinations. Kharge added that unless institutions and the examination system are reformed and accountability is fixed, paper leaks will continue to occur, and "we will be discussing the same thing here again". He asserted that Rahul Gandhi had raised the issue of paper leaks during his Bharat Jodo Yatra and that the Opposition had also demanded a stringent law in 2024, when the Bill was first passed. However, he alleged that the government enacted the law in haste for political reasons. "Now, within two years, you have to amend it," Mr. Kharge said, adding that "we welcome this Amendment Bill, but it is still incomplete". He also said that the Bill failed to address how to prevent paper leaks. Congratulating the youth for forcing the government to remove Dharmendra Pradhan as Education Minister, he said that because of their strong voice, along with the Opposition's protests in Parliament, the government finally bowed to their demands. He claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had to remove Mr. Pradhan to save his own chair. Kharge criticised the government's unwillingness to engage in dialogue, saying that young people seeking discussions were not only labelled anti-nationals but were also lathi-charged, tear-gassed, and injured severely by pellet guns, and many had to be admitted to hospital ICUs. He further alleged that paper leaks had occurred several times across the country during the Modi government's tenure, but the government remained asleep. He also claimed that the main accused in the 2024 NEET paper leak case was given a clean chit.
The BriefWire