Amit Shah ‘authorised’ police action against students during CJP protest; claims Rahul Gandhi, BJP demands apology
The LoP quoted a student as saying that there are three categories of people: students who learn, want to gain knowledge, and accept others' truth; the ‘idiots’ who do not listen to others; and the andbakhts (blind loyalists).
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's remarks sparked an uproar in the Lok Sabha on 29 July, with Union Minister Kiren Rijiju urging the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) to refrain from using ‘unparliamentary’ words.
Rahul Gandhi also targeted Home Minister Amit Shah and accused him of authorising police excesses against student protesters. Gandhi also claimed that Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological fountainhead of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), had ‘captured’ the country’s education system.
Rahul's remarks drew strong objections from ruling party members, who demanded an apology from the Rae Bareli Member of Parliament (MP).
The LoP quoted a student as saying that there are three categories of people: students who learn, want to gain knowledge, and accept others' truth; the ‘idiots’ who do not listen to others; and the andbakhts (blind loyalists).
Quick answers to key questions
Rahul Gandhi referred to a category of people as 'idiots' during a discussion in the Lok Sabha, which triggered strong objections and demands for an apology from ruling party members.
Rahul Gandhi criticized Home Minister Amit Shah for allegedly ordering excessive police action against student protesters during a recent demonstration in New Delhi.
Ruling party MPs, including Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, called Gandhi's use of the term 'idiots' unparliamentary and demanded that he apologize or provide a basis for his allegations against Amit Shah.
The Bill aims to strengthen laws against examination malpractices by introducing stricter penalties for paper leaks and ensuring accountability within the education system.
Given the context of student protests and the ongoing discussion regarding police conduct, Rahul Gandhi's comments are viewed as serious allegations against the government's handling of the situation.
“I asked what the goal of a student is? She said that the student runs after the truth, which is sweet. As Gandhiji said, the windows of a house are open. I asked her, then what about the idiot? She said, Gandhi said, recalling a conversation with an 18-year-old girl student.
Gandhi was speaking during a discussion on the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026.
"She said the student wears the truth on his/her chest proudly. I said, what about the other type? She said the other type requires an image. It requires an image, and as the image is not true because the idiot is trying to pretend that he is God, he has to create this massive image. I asked her a question, where does the third category go? That of 'Andhbhakt'. She said, 'Andhbhakt' is a person who is absolutely convinced that another idiot is God,” Gandhi said.
Amid the uproar by ruling alliance MPs, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju called ‘idiot’ unparliamentary and urged Rahul Gandhi to avoid using the word. “We do not want to disturb your speech. I request you to continue the speech, but avoid the word," Rijiju said.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also intervened and requested Speaker Om Birla to enpunge the word 'idiots’. Rahul Gandhi kept insisting that he did not refer to any individual in his remarks. Birla later said that the words would be expunged.
Rahul attacks Amit Shah
As Rahul continued his speech, the ruling MPs once again objected when he attacked Home Minister Amit Shah and accused him of ordering police excesses against student protesters during the Cockroach Janta Party's 20 July March in New Delhi.
“The home minister is not here today because he is scared,” Gandhi said, drawing objections from the treasury benches.
The home minister ‘authorised’ police action against students, the Congress leader alleged, referring to the crackdown by security forces during the CJP march to Parliament on 20 July over the NEET paper leak issue.
Speaker Om Birla immediately intervened, saying the discussion was not on the Home Minister.
"We are not discussing the Home Minister today," Birla said and added that he must provide proof to substantiate his allegations.
Kiren Rijiju intervened again and demanded an apology from Rahul Gandhi for false allegations made during his speech against the Home Minister.
"Can I say that Rahul Gandhi has murdered someone? Can I say that? You have to give the basis for saying something,” Rijiju said. He asserted that the government would not allow the House to function until Gandhi either apologised or explained the basis of his statement.
Congress party members protested, accusing Birla of preventing Rahul from speaking.
Birla responded, saying, “Unless you have a basis to say what you said, it can’t be taken on record.” Shah was not present in the Lok Sabha. Later, the house was adjourned till 2.30 PM.
On Tuesday, speaking on the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, Union minister Jitendra Singh said the Narendra Modi government completed an unfinished task by bringing a law to prevent examination malpractices in 2024.
The government introduced the Bill in the Lok Sabha on Monday, days after student protests over the NEET fiasco led to Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation as education minister, to provide for stricter punishment of up to 10 years in jail and a heftier fine of ₹50 lakh for paper leaks.
‘If my friends in BJP…’
"I was very excited, reassured by what the future of this country holds on our streets. This was not anger, not violence, not hatred. This was a deep expression of the youth of this country, the future generation of this country, and I feel that all political parties must respect this expression, including my friends in the BJP,” Gandhi said on Wednesday.
“I am pretty certain that if my friends in the BJP were to go and ask their own children what they felt about what their brothers and sisters were doing, they would find agreement among their own children. There is nothing wrong with what has happened, and every Indian should be proud,” Gandhi added.
About the Author
Gulam Jeelani is Political Desk Editor at LiveMint with over 16 years of experience covering national and international politics. Based in New Delhi, Jeelani delivers impactful political narratives through breaking stories, in-depth interviews, and analytical pieces at LiveMint since February 2024. The expertise in video production fuels his current responsibilities, which include curating content and conducting video interviews for an expanding digital audience.<br><br> Jeelani also travels during elections and key political events and has covered assembly elections in key states apart from national elections. He has previously worked with The Pioneer, Network18, India Today, News9Plus and Hindustan Times.<br><br> Jeelani’s tenure at LiveMint and previous experience at print and digital newsrooms have honed his skills in creating compelling text and video stories, explainers, and analysis that resonate with a diverse viewership.<br><br> Before moving to New Delhi in 2015, Jeelani was based in Uttar Pradesh, where he worked for five years as a reporter. In 2018, Jeelani was one of the two Indian journalists selected for the Alfred Friendly Fellowship in the US. There, he attended training workshops on reporting and data journalism, and he was attached to the Minneapolis Star Tribune in Minnesota, where he worked as a reporter.<br><br> Jeelani is a Bachelor's in Chemistry and holds a Masters Degree in journalism and mass communication from Aligarh Muslim University. Outside work, he enjoys poetry, cricket and movies.
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