Kharge Targets Amit Shah During Parliament Debate as Heated Exchanges Rock Rajya Sabha

A heated political confrontation unfolded in Parliament during the debate on the Anti Examination Malpractice Amendment Bill after Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge launched a strong attack on Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the police response to recent student protests.

Kharge accused the Centre of using excessive force against students who had gathered for a peaceful march from Jantar Mantar toward Parliament. He alleged that police resorted to lathi charges, tear gas, and pellet guns to disperse demonstrators and claimed that restrictions were imposed on railway stations and internet services during the protests.

Expressing concern over the reported injuries, Kharge said several students who had travelled from different parts of the country suffered broken limbs and eye injuries. He held the Union Home Minister responsible for the handling of the situation and questioned the government’s response to the protests.

During his speech, Kharge made a remark that one day Amit Shah would be brought before the people. The statement immediately triggered protests from members of the ruling alliance, who described the comment as inappropriate and alleged that it carried the tone of a threat.

Leader of the House J P Nadda objected to the statement and urged the Chair to remove the remarks from the parliamentary record. The exchange led to loud protests inside the House, with treasury bench members demanding that the language used by the opposition leader be withdrawn.

Responding to the objections, Kharge clarified that he had not used any unparliamentary expression. He said his reference to we meant the people of the country and not any individual or group. He also reiterated his demand that Amit Shah should either resign over the police action or be removed from office by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Kharge further alleged that the government introduced the legislation primarily to protect its political position rather than address the concerns of students affected by examination irregularities. According to him, the move was aimed at controlling public anger and preventing further protests instead of resolving the underlying issues.

Replying on behalf of the government, Union Minister Jitendra Singh defended the legislation and criticized the previous UPA government. He said that despite recognizing the need for reforms in the examination system, the Congress led government had failed to establish a national examination framework.

Jitendra Singh also claimed that the present government had completed reforms left unfinished by the previous administration. He stated that since the implementation of the new law, 52 FIRs had been registered and incidents linked to examination paper leaks and related tragedies had shown signs of decline.

The debate reflected the deep political divide over the government’s handling of examination related controversies and student protests. While the opposition questioned the use of force and demanded accountability, the ruling side maintained that the new legal framework was essential to curb examination fraud and strengthen the integrity of the education system.