NEW DELHI, Aug 12: Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said the Opposition was not interested in listening to a “lecture” from Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Parliament, while demanding answers over the alleged use of pellet guns against protesting students.
Gandhi said the younger generation wanted to know who authorised the firing of pellet guns at students during protests.
He argued that if Shah had ordered such action, he should be held responsible, while failure to prevent it would amount to incompetence. In either situation, Gandhi said, the Home Minister should resign.
The Congress leader also launched a sharp political attack on Shah, claiming that the latter’s political image had lost its strength. He used the analogy of a balloon to suggest that attempts to revive Shah’s standing would not succeed.
“Amit Shah has no courage, he cannot come to the House,” Gandhi said.
His comments came after Shah said the government was prepared to discuss issues raised by the Opposition in Parliament, including the protests involving students.
The Home Minister said a discussion could be taken up if the Opposition submitted its request in writing to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla before 2 pm. He indicated that the debate could then begin at 3 pm and continue until 3 pm the following day.
The exchange comes amid heightened political tensions in Parliament, with the Opposition pressing for discussion on the student protests and seeking accountability from the government.
Gandhi maintained that the issue required direct answers rather than speeches, arguing that the concerns of young people should be addressed in Parliament.
