Rahul Gandhi claimed students protesting over examination paper leaks faced excessive force, alleging pellet guns were used in Delhi and AK-47 fire was reported during protests in Bihar.
BY PC Bureau
New Delhi/ July 27, 2026: Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Monday launched a sharp attack on the Narendra Modi government, accusing it of reneging on its assurances to students and allowing police action against protesters to continue even after the nationwide agitation over examination paper leaks ended.
The Congress leader alleged that students were still facing arrests, criminal cases and violent police action despite promises that no punitive measures would be taken following the conclusion of the protests and the resignation of former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Sharing reports of alleged police action in Bihar, Gandhi claimed that security forces had opened fire with AK-47 rifles during a student protest and that hundreds of students had been booked in criminal cases.
“Reports are coming that AK-47 bullets were fired at protesting students in Bihar and hundreds of students have been arrested with FIRs registered against them,” Gandhi said in a post on social media.
He questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi over what he described as the government’s failure to honour its commitments.
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“Prime Minister Modi, what happened to your promise that no FIRs would be filed against students and that those already detained would be released? Instead, students are being subjected to brutality,” he said.
Referring to the July 20 march from Jantar Mantar to Parliament in Delhi, Gandhi alleged that excessive force had become a common response to student demonstrations across the country.
“In Delhi, pellet guns were allegedly used against students. In Bihar, AK-47s. Whether it is Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar or Delhi, the approach remains the same,” he claimed.
The Rae Bareli MP also accused the Centre of lacking the political will to reform India’s examination system, saying repeated promises of change had not translated into meaningful action.
“This government has neither the honesty nor the intent to carry out genuine reforms. Instead of addressing students’ concerns, it is trying to silence them,” Gandhi alleged.
Demanding accountability, he urged the Prime Minister to apologise to students and take action against those responsible for the alleged use of force.
“The Prime Minister should apologise to the country’s students and ensure that action is taken against those who attacked them—not against the students themselves,” he said.
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra echoed the criticism, saying she had received reports that FIRs were still being registered against students in Bihar and West Bengal despite earlier assurances. She, however, noted that those reports were yet to be independently verified.
The remarks come amid claims by lawyers that nearly 200 students detained during protests on July 22 and July 25 were kept in police custody for more than 24 hours following demonstrations demanding the resignation of the then Union Education Minister over the alleged NEET paper leak.
Meanwhile, in Bihar’s Siwan district, a police constable has been suspended for allegedly firing an AK-47 rifle during violence that broke out during the July 25 bandh. Authorities have initiated an inquiry into the incident.
