New Delhi [India], July 27 (ANI): The Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 12 noon on Monday amid uproar over the police action against students during the July 20 ‘Sansad Chalo’ protest, with Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge accusing Union Home Minister Amit Shah of being responsible for the violence against protestors.
Raising the issue in the House, Kharge said he had given a notice under Rule 267 seeking an immediate discussion on the matter.
Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman CP Radhakrishnan, however, said the matter could not be taken up under the existing rules and referred to earlier rulings on the issue.
“See, I have to go by the rules, or I have to break the rules–you tell me,” Radhakrishnan said.
Kharge insisted that the issue was of exceptional importance and sought permission for a discussion.
“This is a rare subject,” Kharge said.
Responding to Kharge, VP Radhakrishnan said that such a discussion could be allowed only on the “rarest of the rarest occasions” and with the consensus of the entire House.
Kharge then launched a sharp attack over the alleged treatment of students during the protests.
“It has never happened in the history of India that the boys were beaten and they were dragged… Amit Shah ji is responsible!” Kharge said amid shouting in the House.
Amid the continued uproar, the Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 12 noon.
Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha is also adjourned till noon amid Opposition sloganeering.
Ahead of the Parliament session, Opposition MPs also staged a protest at Makar Dwar against the alleged police action on student protesters.
The Opposition has moved adjournment motions in the Lok Sabha and Suspension of Business notices in the Rajya Sabha, seeking an urgent discussion on the alleged police action during the July 20 ‘Sansad Chalo’ protest over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak issue.
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi also stepped up his attack on the government, alleging that the system was “murderous” towards students and accusing the government of using extreme force to suppress student voices.
“The entire system is downright murderous against students. News is coming in that AK-47 bullets have been fired at protesting students in Bihar, and hundreds of students have been arrested with FIRs being filed against them,” Gandhi said in a post on X.
He also questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi over an earlier assurance regarding the treatment of student protesters.
“Mr. Modi, where did your promise go that no FIRs would be filed against students and they would be released? Instead, deadly attacks and brutality are being unleashed on them,” Gandhi said.
Gandhi alleged that similar action had been taken against students in different states.
“In Delhi, pellet guns were fired at students, and in Bihar, AK-47s. Whether it’s Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, or Delhi–the pattern is the same everywhere,” he said.
“Mr. Modi, apologize to the country’s students. And take action against those who attacked and crushed the students–not against the students themselves,” he added.
The protests and the Opposition’s demand for a discussion come amid heightened political tensions over alleged examination irregularities and the government’s proposed Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026.
The 37-day-long CJP student agitation at Jantar Mantar was withdrawn after the government assured protesters of action on their demands. (ANI)
Related reading
