BJP Accuses Rahul Gandhi of Misleading Parliament Over July 20 Protest, Rejects Claims of Police Firing

New Delhi, July 2026 : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of making “false and misleading” statements during the debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026. The party strongly denied Gandhi’s allegation that police had opened fire on students during the July 20 ‘Sansad Chalo’ march organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), asserting that no such incident had taken place.

The controversy erupted after Rahul Gandhi, while participating in the debate in the Lok Sabha, criticised the government’s handling of the student protest and accused Union Home Minister Amit Shah of being responsible for the alleged police action against demonstrators in the national capital.

Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters, party MP Sambit Patra said Rahul Gandhi deliberately attempted to mislead Parliament and the country by making allegations that were factually incorrect.

“Rahul Gandhi was speaking lies in the Lok Sabha. He tried to create confusion and spread misinformation in the House. When false statements are made and inappropriate language is used, it naturally invites objections and demands for verification. Unparliamentary and unverified remarks cannot become part of the official record,” Patra said.

The BJP leader categorically rejected Gandhi’s claim that police fired at student protesters during the July 20 demonstration.

“The Bharatiya Janata Party wishes to state clearly that no firing took place during the protest. Rahul Gandhi’s allegation that shots were fired is completely false. His claim that Union Home Minister Amit Shah ordered the firing is equally baseless because no such incident occurred in the first place,” Patra asserted.

Explaining the administrative process followed during large public demonstrations, Patra said decisions regarding the use of force are never taken by the Union Home Minister.

“Whenever a large protest takes place and police or security forces are deployed, an Executive Magistrate is present at the site. It is the magistrate who assesses the law and order situation and decides whether measures such as lathi-charge or the use of force are required. These operational decisions are not taken by the Home Minister. Rahul Gandhi, as the Leader of Opposition, should be aware of such basic administrative procedures,” he said.

Patra also claimed that Congress leaders seated alongside Rahul Gandhi during the debate appeared to be trying to correct him while he was speaking.

“Priyanka Gandhi and other Congress MPs were interacting with Rahul Gandhi during his speech. It seemed they were attempting to convey the facts to him, yet he continued to repeat the allegation of police firing, thereby misleading the nation,” he remarked.

Responding to Gandhi’s criticism regarding Amit Shah’s alleged absence from Parliament during the debate, Patra dismissed the charge and said the Home Minister was present within the Parliament complex.

“The Home Minister does not make secret foreign trips. Whenever he travels, his programmes are publicly announced and covered by the media. On the day Rahul Gandhi referred to, Amit Shah was within the Parliament premises. Raising questions about his absence was merely an attempt to sensationalise the debate,” Patra said.

The BJP spokesperson also objected to Rahul Gandhi’s remarks in which he referred to certain categories of people as “idiots” while narrating a conversation with a student during his speech.

“Rahul Gandhi spoke about three categories of people — students, ‘idiots’ and ‘andhbhakts’. Such language insults students and the citizens of this country. No student should be labelled an ‘idiot’ or an ‘andhbhakt’,” Patra said.

He questioned whom Gandhi intended to describe through those remarks, noting that several opposition leaders had met the students protesting at Jantar Mantar.

“If Rahul Gandhi’s comments were directed at the protesters, then was he also referring to opposition leaders who visited them? And if he was referring to the supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party, does he believe they have no independent thinking? His statements have created unnecessary confusion,” Patra added.

Concluding his remarks, the BJP leader said that if Rahul Gandhi intended to categorise ordinary citizens as “idiots” or “andhbhakts”, the people of the country would reject such language. He maintained that political discourse should remain fact-based and responsible, particularly inside Parliament, where elected representatives are expected to uphold the dignity of democratic debate.