The Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking accountability for the police action against students protesting in Delhi on July 20, alleging that peaceful demonstrators
were met with excessive force.
In the letter dated July 25, Rahul Gandhi said the students had been demanding a “fair and accountable education system” and accused security forces of using indiscriminate force instead of engaging with them.
“I write to demand accountability for the barbaric assault on students who were peacefully protesting in Delhi on July 20, 2026,” he said.
The Congress leader alleged that hundreds of protesters suffered serious injuries during the crackdown and claimed women students were assaulted by policemen.
छात्रों को मारने का आदेश किसने दिया? pic.twitter.com/NDwfka1UqO
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 26, 2026
Addressing the Home Minister, Rahul Gandhi asked whether he had approved the use of force against the students and, if not, who had authorised it. He also sought an explanation for the presence of people in plain clothes who were allegedly seen beating protesters with lathis, asking whether they were police personnel or volunteers and who had authorised their deployment.
“Security forces deployed in Delhi answer ultimately to you,” Rahul Gandhi wrote.
Calling peaceful protest a cornerstone of democracy, the Congress MP said it was the government’s responsibility to protect protesters and resolve their grievances through dialogue rather than force.
“Peaceful protest is crucial to any democracy. It is the government’s responsibility to protect protestors and resolve their grievances through dialogue,” he wrote, adding that students were demanding “answers and accountability” and that “their voice will be heard.”
The letter comes after protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar over the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned following weeks of demonstrations, after which the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) called off its 37-day agitation.
