LIVE | Amit Shah either culpable or incompetent, either way has to go: Rahul

Opposition seeks Amit Shah's presence in Rajya Sabha

The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday began discussion on the National Honour (Amendment) Bill amid protests by Opposition members demanding the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the House.

As legislative business got underway, Opposition MPs continued to press for Shah's attendance, leading to repeated interruptions.

DMK MP Tiruchi Siva objected to the debate proceeding in the Home Minister's absence, saying the discussion could not take place unless Shah was present in the House.

The protests continued even as the Chair sought to move ahead with consideration of the Bill.

Venugopal defends Rahul, targets Home Minister

Congress MP K.C. Venugopal on Wednesday defended Rahul Gandhi's remarks in the Lok Sabha, insisting that the Union Home Minister was accountable for the actions of the Delhi Police during the student protests.

Speaking outside Parliament, Venugopal said, "What Rahul Gandhi has told is very clear. Delhi Police is totally under the control of the Home Ministry, isn't it? Delhi Police Commissioner takes orders from whom? He is taking orders from the Home Ministry only. Home Minister himself is responsible."

He also questioned the Home Minister's absence from the House, adding, "If Rahul ji makes that allegation, what is the way out? Home Minister has to come to the House, and he has to explain that I have not ordered..."

Accusing the Treasury Benches of preventing the Leader of the Opposition from speaking, Venugopal said, "When LoP is taking this issue in the House, you people are not allowing him to speak at all... They very much know that they are completely guilty."

Rejecting Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju's demand for an apology from Rahul Gandhi, Venugopal said, "Who will apologize. Nothing doing. Let them apologize to the students. Let them apologize to the nation for using pellet guns against the students... and you are asking for an apology from Rahul ji for raising this issue..."

Lok Sabha adjourned till 2.30 pm amid Rahul remarks row

Congress MP K.C. Venugopal on Wednesday defended Rahul Gandhi's remarks during the debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, saying the Union Home Minister was accountable for the actions of the Delhi Police.

Intervening during the heated exchange in the Lok Sabha, Venugopal said, "the Delhi Police Commissioner reports to and takes orders from the Home Minister."

He argued that if the Delhi Police had used pellet guns against students, responsibility rested with the Union Home Minister. "If the Delhi Police fired pellets, accountability is of the Home Minister," Venugopal said.

His intervention came amid loud protests from Treasury Bench members, with MPs from both sides continuing to raise slogans. As the uproar showed no signs of easing, the Speaker adjourned the House till 2.30 p.m.

Speaker tells Rahul to conclude speech or follow rules

Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday directed Rahul Gandhi to either conclude his speech or continue the debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill without making what he described as baseless insinuations.

As repeated interruptions continued in the Lok Sabha, Birla reminded the Leader of the Opposition to adhere to the rules governing debates in the House.

He also warned that if Rahul did not continue his speech in accordance with parliamentary rules, the Chair would move on to the next speaker.

"I will not allow you to speak if you don't comply with the rules," Birla said.

The Speaker's intervention came amid sustained protests from Treasury Bench members over Rahul's remarks, with proceedings remaining noisy as the debate on the Bill continued.

Birla says Rahul repeatedly defied the Chair

Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday told Rahul Gandhi that any allegation made without supporting evidence would not form part of the Lok Sabha record during the debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill.

Responding to the Chair, Rahul maintained that the use of force could only be authorised by the Union Home Minister or the Prime Minister and by no one else.

Birla said the Leader of the Opposition was repeatedly defying the Chair's directions to remain focused on the legislation before the House.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju also challenged Rahul's claim, saying that since he had alleged the Home Minister issued such an order, he should produce a copy of the directive before the House. The exchange further intensified the standoff between the Treasury and Opposition benches as the debate continued.

Rijiju warns House won't run without Rahul's retraction

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday warned that the government would not allow the Lok Sabha to function unless Rahul Gandhi either apologised for or withdrew his allegations against the Union Home Minister.

Objecting strongly to the Leader of the Opposition's remarks, Rijiju said, "we will not take this lightly or else tomorrow any MP will come and make any allegations ..."

Questioning the implications of allowing such statements in the House, he added, "Will you allow someone to come and say Rahul Gandhi has murdered someone."

Rijiju said allegations of such a serious nature must be backed by evidence, stating, "If you have made a statement, you will have to explain who gave you the information and present the facts."

He also made it clear that the government would not relent, saying, "If you don't apologise or retract, we won't let the House function".

Rijiju demands Rahul retract remarks on Home Minister

Congress members on Wednesday raised slogans of "bolne do" (let him speak) in the Lok Sabha as the confrontation over Rahul Gandhi's remarks during the debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill intensified.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav intervened, saying that if the Leader of the Opposition had levelled a serious allegation against the government, it was the government's responsibility to respond.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju countered that Rahul had not made allegations against the government but had specifically targeted the Union Home Minister without any factual basis. He said the Congress leader should either apologise or withdraw his remarks.

Speaker Om Birla asked Rahul to remain focused on the Bill and refrain from making allegations against individuals. "You can demand an inquiry but you can't level allegations against individuals," Birla said.

A fresh confrontation broke out in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday after Rahul Gandhi referred to the Union Home Minister during the debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, prompting Speaker Om Birla to intervene.

Birla reminded the Leader of the Opposition that the debate was confined to the legislation before the House, saying, "The discussion is not on the Home Ministry. The minister moving the legislation is in the House."

Rahul, however, continued his remarks, alleging, "The home minister authorised the shooting of our students. He authorised pellets. He authorised students to be shot."

The comments triggered an uproar, with members from both the Treasury and Opposition benches rising to raise slogans.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju objected to Rahul's remarks, saying the Leader of the Opposition was making extremely serious allegations without any facts or basis.

Rahul Gandhi accuses RSS of capturing education

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday sharpened his attack on the government and the RSS during the debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, drawing repeated protests from the Treasury Benches.

Referring to students protesting the NEET paper leak issue, Rahul said, "There is one category of students and another 2 which I won't name. Students love the truth; the other 2 don't. A student doesn't use force against others because he knows that his truth may be different from the others. The other categories need violence."

He accused the government of presiding over a broken education system. "The students are upset because of the education system, exam paper leaks, cost of education. Our system is cruel and terrible. Lakhs of rupees are being taken from students, everything is being privatised... It's a brutal system, an extortion system. The soul of this system has been captured by the RSS."

Responding to Rajnath Singh's earlier remarks, Rahul said, "The resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan is superficial because he never ran education. The organisation that ran the education ministry is called the RSS, and the man who runs it is an OSD sitting in the minister's office."

He further alleged that educational institutions had come under the influence of the RSS. "Pradhan is a symbol, RSS is the real enemy. They (RSS) are the people who want you to become andh bhakts, and the students are saying under no circumstances will they allow you to turn them into andh bhakts."

Rahul also praised the students for confronting the establishment, saying, "The parents of these children didn't have the courage to face the RSS and yet these brave children stood there and faced whatever you could throw at them."

Targeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah without naming him, Rahulsaid, "I am very happy to see that the so-called home minister of the country doesn't have the courage to come and sit here. I saw the home minister's carcade... Why is he not here today? Because he is scared."

His remarks prompted fresh protests from Treasury Bench members.

Rahul defends remarks as Rajnath seeks expunction

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday defended his remarks amid continuing protests from the Treasury Benches during the debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill.

"It is unparliamentary for me to use that word against another MP. I have not done that. I have only used it to define a category (of people). If you want that only people from the BJP can speak then I will not speak," Rahul said.

As Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh sought to intervene, Rahul said he was not yielding.

Singh then urged the Chair to have any unparliamentary expressions expunged from the House records. He also appealed to BJP members to allow Rahul to complete his speech without interruptions as the debate continued amid repeated protests.