Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday intensified his attack on Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the police action against protesters at Jantar Mantar, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi should remove
Shah from office and order an independent probe into the incident.
Addressing a press conference, Rahul Gandhi also said he would never apologise to the BJP over his controversial remark, even as the ruling party continued to target him over the issue.
‘Either incompetent or culpable’
Questioning the Home Minister’s role in the police action, the Lok Sabha LoP said every action by the Delhi Police and forces linked to the Union Home Ministry required approval from the Home Minister.
He claimed that while he was in Parliament, he personally saw Amit Shah speaking to the police over the phone. Gandhi alleged that Shah later sent a minister to make another call, saying it showed the Home Minister was aware of what was happening.
Gandhi said there were only two possibilities. Either Shah did not know what was taking place, making him incompetent, or he had ordered the action, making him responsible. “There is no third possibility. He either ordered it, or he has no idea what is going on in his ministry, and he is incompetent. In either case, he has to go,” Gandhi said.
He further alleged that the Home Minister was responsible for the students who were beaten, humiliated and shot with pellet guns during the police action.
Rahul questions police action
Gandhi said both the Delhi Police and the Rapid Action Force (RAF), which he alleged carried out the action, report to the Union Home Ministry headed by Amit Shah.
“There is no Haryana Police operating in Delhi, there is no UP Police operating in Delhi, there is only Delhi Police operating and RAF operating,” he said.
The Congress leader said he had written a letter to Amit Shah on July 25, asking whether the Home Minister had approved the use of “lethal force, including pellet guns” against students. He said he had not received either a reply or even an acknowledgement of the letter.
Rahul Gandhi also questioned the role of people in plain clothes allegedly seen beating students with lathis, asking whether they were police personnel or volunteers.
‘Students will get justice’
Gandhi said the Opposition would ensure justice for every student who was allegedly assaulted during the crackdown. He claimed the Opposition had collected photographs and videos of the incident and knew the identities of the police personnel involved.
“You might think you’re very smart, but accountability is going to come,” he said, describing it as the Opposition’s guarantee to the students.
Calling for action against those allegedly responsible, Gandhi urged the Prime Minister to dismiss Amit Shah and order an investigation monitored by an independent high-powered committee of the Supreme Court.
“We’re not asking for anything that is out of the ordinary. At least have the decency to take responsibility for what you have done,” he said.
Meanwhile, reacting to Rahul Gandhi’s controversial remark, Union Minister Jitendra Singh criticised the Congress leader, saying even an “idiot” cannot use such language inside Parliament because it is considered unparliamentary. “Even an idiot can’t call himself an idiot inside Parliament, because it is unparliamentary language,” Singh said.
Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi said he would never apologise to the BJP over his controversial remark, maintaining his stand amid the continuing political row.
