Rahul Gandhi said young Indians demanding accountability over the alleged paper leak “cannot be threatened into silence,” while calling for justice for students injured during the July 20 Jantar Mantar protest.
BY PC Bureau
NEW DELHI: Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday accused the Narendra Modi government of trying to silence India’s Gen Z protesters through police action, criminal cases and social media restrictions, saying young people demanding accountability over the alleged NEET paper leak could not be intimidated into silence.
In a post on X, Gandhi directly targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, writing: “PM Modi and Amit Shah – you cannot threaten Gen Z into silence. First you broke their bones. Now you are filing FIRs and taking down their accounts.”
He added, “You are India’s past. Be careful about how you treat India’s future.”
The remarks come amid an intensified crackdown following the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led protests over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak. In recent days, police have registered multiple FIRs over protest-related social media content, sought the removal of online posts and launched investigations into several accounts accused of circulating objectionable or AI-generated material.
PM Modi and Amit Shah – you cannot threaten Gen Z into silence.
First you broke their bones. Now you are filing FIRs and taking down their accounts.
You are India’s past. Be careful about how you treat India’s future.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 31, 2026
A day earlier, Gandhi had demanded a Supreme Court-monitored high-powered committee to investigate allegations of excessive police force during the July 20 protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.
“Students deserve justice. An independent SC-monitored high-powered committee must be constituted to probe brutalities against our students,” he had said in another post on X.
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Along with his statement, Gandhi shared videos purportedly showing police personnel using lathis on student demonstrators and another clip in which a man in civilian clothes appeared to push a student carrying the Indian flag onto the road.
His criticism coincided with a protest by Opposition MPs from INDIA bloc parties at Makar Dwar inside the Parliament complex on Friday morning. Gathering around 10.30 a.m., the MPs held placards demanding accountability for the alleged police excesses at Jantar Mantar and questioning the handling of donations to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya.
The protest took place ahead of a scheduled discussion in the Rajya Sabha on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, legislation brought in against the backdrop of the nationwide controversy over examination paper leaks.
