Rahul Gandhi Stopped From Speaking in LS, Bill Passed

New Delhi: Amid ongoing tussle between the Opposition and the government over firing of pellet bullets, teargas and lathi charge on the protesting students last week, the discussion on the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, in Lok Sabha on Wednesday turned out to be a heated argument between the two sides. Leader of Opposition (LoP) Mr Rahul Gandhi pulled no punches as he directly blamed the Union Home Minister Mr Amit Shah for the police firing on the protesting students last week prompting the treasury benches demand proof of such claims. The government rushed to deny Mr Gandhi’s charges and speech was prematurely stopped by Speaker Om Birla. The Bill was passed by voice vote even as the Opposition demanded that the LoP should be allowed to complete his speech.

After the Bill was passed, Mr Shah congratulated the students in a post on X. "Congratulations to every student in India on the passage of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 in Lok Sabha today. The bill shields the dreams and aspirations of our youth by laying down iron-clad provisions imposing the harshest punishment on those who dare to breach the sanctity of public examination. The Modi government will spare no one who attempts to imperil the future of the country's students and will leave no stone unturned to ensure that the perpetrators face the full wrath of the law," Mr Shah said.

During his speech, Gandhi questioned the absence of Mr Shah from the House and his silence on the allegations levelled against him. While accusing Mr Shah of authorizing police firing, Mr Gandhi went on to say, “He put pellets into the blood of our students. He ordered the students of India to be shot…The so-called Home Minister of the country does not have the courage to come and sit here…why is the home minister not here today? The home minister is not here today because he is scared.”

Samajwadi Party chief Mr Akhilesh Yadav joined in saying the LoP had levelled very serious allegations which must be probed.

Mr Gandhi’s comments were strongly opposed by the treasury benches. Union Parliamentary Affairs minister Mr Kiren Rijiju asked Mr Gandhi to authenticate his claims. Speaker Mr Om Birla first advised Mr Gandhi to speak only on the Bill and later abruptly cut short his speech and adjourned the House. After the break, Mr Birla invited Minister of State in Prime Minister Office (MoS) Jitender Singh to reply to the discussion. The Bill was passed by voice vote amid protests and sloganeering from Opposition parties. During his speech Mr Gandhi was constantly disturbed by the treasury benches.

Mr Gandhi took a dig at the BJP and its core supporters by referring to three categories -- students, those who think they know everything and pretend to be God, and the "andhbhakt" who believes the second category is God. He also launched a sharp attack on the RSS, accusing it of influencing the education system and shaping what students are taught.

“…Dharmendra Pradhan never ran the education ministry. The organisation that runs the ministry is called the RSS. They (students) have to buy this nonsensical history that RSS fantasises about. Pradhan is the symbol," Mr Gandhi said and alleged that all universities in the country have a vice chancellor of the RSS.

Mr Gandhi termed the student protests over the NEET paper leak issue as an expression of the youth. "I was very excited, reassured by what the future of this country did on our streets. This was not anger, not violence, not hatred; this was an expression, deep expressions of the youth of this country, of the future generation of this country… Every Indian should be proud of what the youth of this country did," he added.

“The real challenge is facing your own fear. And that is exactly what the students did. They overcame their fear. They challenged the idea that you, the BJP and the RSS, could destroy them and their careers. They asked why young people are not being allowed to get jobs. They asked why they cannot fall in love. They asked why people of different religions are being targeted. They asked these questions publicly, and you could do nothing about it,” Mr Gandhi added.

In his reply Mr Jitender Singh categorically denied that any “bullet” was fired by the Delhi Police on the students and only tear gas was used. The MoS said opening of fire is ordered by the magistrate not the HM or PM. “Jab goli chali hi nahi, toh aadesh dena ka sawal hi paida nahi hota; aur aadesh dena ka adhikar magistrate ke pass rahta hai, mantri ke paas nahi' (when there were no bullets fired, the question of authorising it does not arise, and the directive to open fire is given by the magistrate, not a minister)."