Rahul Gandhi: Amit Shah responsible for violence against student protesters

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said Home Minister Amit Shah is responsible for violence against student protesters demonstrating against the NEET paper leak at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.

Speaking to reporters, Gandhi alleged that the police crackdown on students — including the use of pellet guns and lathi-charges — was directed from the top. He linked the violence to the broader agitation led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and supported by Sonam Wangchuk, which had entered its fourth week before the Centre accepted Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation on July 26.

What we can verify

• Rahul Gandhi made the statement blaming Amit Shah for violence against student protesters (Indian Express, Aug 6, 2026).
• The statement relates to the Jantar Mantar protests over the NEET paper leak, where CJP and student groups had been demonstrating since early July.
• The protests saw clashes on July 20 during the "Sansad Chalo" march, with multiple injuries reported and pellet-gun use alleged.

Context The Jantar Mantar agitation, led by CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and supported by Sonam Wangchuk's 26-day hunger strike, demanded action on the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak. The protests ended after Pradhan's resignation and the Centre's assurance to withdraw FIRs against protesters.

Unverified / developing

• Specific casualty figures or direct orders from the Home Ministry — marked [unverified] pending independent corroboration.
• The article does not quote a direct response from Amit Shah's office at time of publication.