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Rahul seeks SC-monitored probe into July 20 crackdown; SC asks Centre to preserve RAF ammunition log; Priyanka leads Parliament protest seeking answers from Shah
Proceedings of the Lok Sabha were adjourned till 2 pm on Thursday (July 30) amid continued protests and heated exchanges between the Treasury and Opposition benches during the Monsoon Session.
Opposition MPs, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, protested in the Parliament House complex on Thursday against alleged police excesses against student protesters and theft of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The MPs protested in front of Makar Dwar of Parliament. Slogans such as 'chadhawa chor, gaddi chhor', 'grih mantri sadan mein aao' and 'who gave the order' were raised by the lawmakers.
Also read | NEET solution: Online, offline, or scrapped? Experts split on exam future
The protesting MPs lined up behind a big banner that read 'who gave the order', an apparent reference to the directions to security personnel to use lethal force against student protesters at the recent agitation against NEET paper leak.
The INDIA bloc has vowed to corner the government on issues of alleged theft of donations at the Ram temple and the use of "brutal force" against students during their protests last week.
CJP chief takes a jibe at PM Modi
Meanwhile, asserting that student protesters are “not terrorists”, Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Wednesday demanded action against officials who ordered pellet gun firing at Jantar Mantar on July 20. Warning that continued police harassment would prompt young people to “change the government”, he also took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he should step down and "become an influencer" instead.
Referring to the Prime Minister’s recent Instagram videos addressing the youth, Dipke told reporters in his hometown in Maharashtra, “I think [PM Modi] should become an influencer. He is doing very well at that. If he is such a good influencer, then he should leave the Prime Minister's chair, become an influencer, and let someone else do the job.”
‘Students can change govt’
Dipke also sought strict legal action against officials who authorised the use of pellet guns against student demonstrators at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar and warned that the government should not presume that students' anger has decreased after Pradhan's resignation.
"Whether it be Amit Shah (or anyone else), action should be taken against the person who gave orders to fire pellet guns," Dipke said. He also warned that if need be, the students may launch a fresh agitation on a "much bigger scale".
Also read | NEET protests: Which states have withdrawn cases against protesters?
"These students are not terrorists. They are the future of our country. If the future of the country is troubled in such a way, just as Dharmendra Pradhan had to step down...Tomorrow, we will go and change the government if it doesn't fall in line," the CJP founder added.
(With agency inputs)
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Live Updates
- 30 July 2026 2:35 PM IST
Govt brought Bill to stop Delhi protests: Kgarge
Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday questioned why the Centre had not introduced legislation to curb paper leaks earlier, saying students had suffered while the issue remained unaddressed.
Taking part in the debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, Kharge accused the government of giving precedence to politics over safeguarding the interests of students.
“You brought the bill to stop the protests in Delhi. You did not bring in the bill for reforms,” Kharge alleged, reported The Hindu.
- 30 July 2026 2:31 PM IST
Kharge speaks on Anti-Paper Leak Bill in Rajya Sabha
Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday began his speech as the Upper House continued its debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026.
The proposed legislation, which seeks to strengthen the legal framework against paper leaks and examination malpractice, was cleared by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. It is now under consideration in the Rajya Sabha, where members are debating its provisions before a vote on its passage.
- 30 July 2026 2:28 PM IST
PM Modi chairs high-level meeting in Parliament
A high-level meeting is in progress in Parliament with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in attendance.
Among those present are Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Ministers Piyush Goyal, Nirmala Sitharaman, Jagat Prakash Nadda, Rajnath Singh, S. Jaishankar, Hardeep Singh Puri and Sarbananda Sonowal. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval is also attending the meeting, reported ANI.
The meeting comes as Parliament continues its Monsoon Session, with both Houses witnessing repeated disruptions over contentious issues and the government pressing ahead with its legislative agenda despite the frequent adjournments.
- 30 July 2026 2:23 PM IST
Jitendra Singh defends Anti-Paper Leak Bill in Rajya Sabha
Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh on Thursday defended the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, in the Rajya Sabha, saying the proposed changes were aimed at tightening the legal framework against paper leak cases and speeding up investigations and trials.
Moving the Bill for consideration and passage in the Upper House, Singh recalled several instances of question paper leaks reported across the country over the years. His remarks triggered protests from Opposition members, leading to noisy scenes in the House.
Singh said the amendments reflected the government’s willingness to “learn from experience” after the implementation of the 2024 anti-paper leak law, reported The Hindu.
Informing the House about the law's impact, he said 52 FIRs had been registered since it came into force and that suicides linked to paper leak incidents had declined.
The proposed amendments require investigations into paper leak cases to be completed within two months. They also allow States and Union Territories to designate Sessions Courts as special fast-track courts, which will conduct day-to-day hearings and conclude trials within three months of the filing of the chargesheet.
The Bill also proposes tougher punishment for those involved in examination fraud. Individuals convicted of leaking question papers or using other unfair means in public examinations could face jail terms ranging from five to 10 years, along with fines of up to Rs 50 lakh.
Those found to be part of organised paper leak syndicates would face a minimum prison term of seven years and fines of up to Rs 10 crore. The amendments also authorise the Centre to set up special task forces to investigate such cases whenever required.
- 30 July 2026 2:19 PM IST
Rajya Sabha takes up Public Examinations Bill
The Rajya Sabha on Thursday took up the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, for discussion, a day after the proposed legislation secured approval in the Lok Sabha.
Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh moved the Bill in the Upper House, seeking its consideration and passage.
- 30 July 2026 2:17 PM IST
Lok Sabha adjourned till 3 pm after repeated disruptions
The Lok Sabha was adjourned until 3 pm on Thursday after repeated disruptions and slogan-shouting by Opposition members prevented the House from taking up scheduled business.
Members from the Opposition were on their feet soon after proceedings began, pressing their demands and raising slogans. As the protests continued, the Chair adjourned the House until 3 pm.
The Monsoon Session has been marked by repeated disruptions, with the Opposition seeking discussions on a range of issues that it says require the government's response. The treasury benches, on the other hand, have maintained that the House should first proceed with its listed legislative agenda.
The continued standoff has slowed parliamentary business, with debates and legislative work repeatedly interrupted by adjournments.
- 30 July 2026 1:39 PM IST
Plea on use of pellet gun: SC asks Centre to preserve RAF ammunition log
Taking note of a plea on the use of metallic pellet guns during the recent students' protests against the NEET paper leak in Delhi, the Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Centre to preserve the ammunition log of Rapid Action Force (RAF) deployed at the Jantar Mantar.
Observing that the police, as per the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) advisory, are empowered to use pellet guns in exceptional situations, the top court termed “vague” the prayer in the plea seeking a complete ban on such usage.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana took note of the submissions of senior advocate Vrinda Grover, appearing for the petitioners, and asked the Delhi government to provide the best treatment to Prashant Kumar and Sheikh Irshad Mansoori and others who suffered pellet gun injuries during the July 20 protest in Delhi.
The top court on July 28 directed the preservation of CCTV, drone, body camera footage and wireless logs and did not specifically refer to ammunition logs of the RAF.
“Whatever is required for investigation will be preserved,” the solicitor general said.
- 30 July 2026 1:35 PM IST
Rot in education system deep; Pradhan's resignation only beginning: Congress
The “rot” in India’s education system is deep and Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation as education minister is only the first step in a long journey to restoring its integrity, the Congress has said.
Party general secretary Jairam Ramesh on X shared a screenshot of a media report claiming that the engineering admissions process in Maharashtra's premier institutes has come under scrutiny after the surfacing of a scam alleging managed exam centres.
“The rot in India's education system is deep and Mantri Pradhan's resignation is only the first step of a long journey to restoring its integrity,” Ramesh said on X.
He said that for the last three years, there has been a divergence between the results of the Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (MH-CET) for engineering and the class 12 board marks.
The toppers in the MH-CET are unable to perform well in their Board exams, Ramesh said.
“Is this due to foul-play? Is this due to the growing prevalence of coaching over school-based education? We need to introspect deeply,” the Congress leader said.
The former minister said that simply passing a law to create fast-track courts for paper leaks is not a solution, and the move “insults” the sentiments and righteous frustration of the lakhs of youth who have taken to the streets over the last couple of months.
- 30 July 2026 12:56 PM IST
Rahul Gandhi questions Amit Shah's absence from Parliament
Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Thursday renewed his attack on Union Home Minister Amit Shah, questioning why he had not addressed Parliament over the alleged police action against students during the July 20 protest in Delhi.
In a post on X, Gandhi accused the Home Minister of avoiding questions over the incident and demanded an explanation from the government.
“Why is Amit Shah so scared of coming to the Parliament and explaining the brutal violence against students? It reeks of guilt,” Gandhi wrote on X.
The remarks followed Gandhi's press conference on Wednesday evening, where he called on Shah to respond to allegations surrounding the security operation during the Cockroach Janta Party's 'Chalo Sansad' march. The Congress leader also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to remove the Home Minister, holding him responsible for the alleged crackdown on protesters.
The issue has remained at the centre of the political confrontation during the Monsoon Session, with the Opposition repeatedly demanding a statement from Shah.
- 30 July 2026 12:53 PM IST
Mandaviya says gig workers covered under Labour Codes
Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday told the Rajya Sabha that the government has made provisions for gig workers under the Labour Codes and has created a separate mechanism for their social security.
Responding during Question Hour, the minister said gig and platform workers could enrol through the e-Shram portal to access benefits available under the framework.
Addressing a question on why India had not adopted the social security framework prescribed by the International Labour Organization, Mandaviya said the government had already taken steps suited to the country's requirements.
“Gig workers can register themselves through the e-Shram portal. We have a separate model for social security for gig workers in the Labour Codes, where we have also kept some flexibility,” he replied as quoted by The Hindu.
The government has been expanding the e-Shram database to bring workers in the unorganised sector, including gig workers, under various welfare initiatives and social security measures.
