Jantar Mantar protests : ‘Police action should be probed by SC’

Gandhi further said that the protesting students were shot with pellet guns. He pledged that he would ensure that the students who were beaten get justice.

Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi during a press conference at the Party Office, in New Delhi on Wednesday. Photo | Sayantan Ghosh, EPS

NEW DELHI: Launching a broadside against the government over alleged police excesses against students, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to sack Home Minister Amit Shah and demanded a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the “brutalities”.

Addressing a press conference, the Leader of Opposition alleged that he was not allowed to speak in Lok Sabha. “Either Shah ordered that students be shot with pellet guns and beaten with lathis with nails or he was unaware,” Rahul said, referring to the crackdown by security forces during the July 20 Cockroach Janta Party-led protest march to Parliament.

“If he ordered it, he is culpable and if he did not know then he is incompetent,” Gandhi said, adding, “So, it is our advice that the Prime Minister sack Shah,” he said. Rahul also demanded a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the alleged police excesses.

“As you saw today, the Leader of the Opposition is not allowed to speak in the Lok Sabha. Multiple times, I asked the speaker to bring order to the house so that I can speak. Multiple times, Union ministers Kiren Rijiju, Rajnath Singh were allowed to speak and the excuse was that I said something about Home Minister Shah,” Gandhi said.

The Congress leader asserted, “I said Shah was responsible for the brutality that was carried out. I was given an assurance that if I apologise, I will be allowed to speak. I will never apologise to the BJP-RSS. It is my right to raise issues that are important to the country. The brutalisation of our students and the assault on them is a fundamental issue.”

Gandhi further said that the protesting students were shot with pellet guns. “One boy who was shot with a pellet gun is most likely to lose his eye and may not be able to see.

I have seen the AIIMS medical certificate, which shows that he was shot with pellet guns. Shock batons were used, not just normal lathis, lathis with nails. Where did the police get this idea from?” he sought to know.

He pledged that he would ensure that the students who were beaten get justice.