Mallikarjun Kharge (Congress) accused Home Minister Amit Shah of ordering excessive force against student protesters in Delhi during a Rajya Sabha session [1].

The confrontation highlights escalating tensions between the opposition and the government over the handling of civil unrest and the use of police power in the capital.

Kharge said police used disproportionate force against peaceful demonstrators, specifically alleging the use of pellet-gun fire [1]. He said the Home Minister was directly responsible for the escalation, stating that Shah had either ordered or permitted the use of lethal force against the students [2].

"Amit Shah is responsible," Kharge said [4].

The allegations centered on police actions at Jantar Mantar, where student protesters had gathered [2]. Kharge said the Home Minister was absent from the house during the debate, suggesting that Shah was avoiding accountability for the police response [3].

The exchange led to a heated showdown between the Congress party and the BJP, resulting in the adjournment of the Rajya Sabha [1]. The opposition sought a formal explanation for the police tactics used during the protests, while the government's absence from the immediate debate intensified the friction [3].

Kharge said the response from security forces was an affront to the right to peaceful protest. He said the use of such weaponry against students is unacceptable in a democratic setting [2].

“"Amit Shah is responsible."”

This incident underscores the deepening divide between India's ruling BJP and the opposition Congress party regarding internal security and human rights. By specifically naming the Home Minister and citing the use of pellet guns—weapons typically associated with high-conflict zones—the opposition is attempting to frame the government's domestic policing as authoritarian, potentially galvanizing student populations and civil rights advocates.