The BJP on Tuesday targeted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over the alleged police action against job aspirants in Jharkhand, accusing him of either being "culpable" for the crackdown or "incapable" of taking action against the state government.
The party also slammed Gandhi for "running away" from a debate in Parliament on student protests in Jharkhand, where the Congress is part of the ruling alliance.
Ruling NDA MPs held a protest outside the main entrance of Parliament against the alleged police action on job aspirants in Jharkhand and Gandhi's stand on the issue.
The MPs marched from the Parliament Library towards the main entrance 'Makar Dwar', and raised slogans such as "Rahul Gandhi Jawab Do" and "Rahul Gandhi Bhago Mat".
Speaking to reporters during the protest, BJP national spokesperson and MP Sambit Patra asked Gandhi to explain his position on the alleged police action.
"Rahul Gandhi, isn't your party a part of the Jharkhand government? Is it not a fact that barbaric scenes were witnessed in Jharkhand on Monday? The way lathis were used on children, the way students and girl students were mistreated and the way the police showed brutality against them -- who is accountable for this?" Patra asked.
Questioning whether the action was taken on Gandhi's orders, Patra demanded that the Congress leader either take responsibility or withdraw his party's support to the Jharkhand government.
"If this happened on your orders, then you are culpable; If it did not, then you are not capable.
In both cases, you should take cognisance of it.
You should come before the media and say whether you are culpable or incapable; say that for this reason you are taking your people out of the Jharkhand government and withdrawing support.
Do you have the courage to do this?" the BJP leader asked.
Patra also accused Gandhi and the Congress of "changing the goalpost" on a debate in Parliament.
"Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party had demanded that Home Minister Amit Shah come to the House and hold a discussion.
On Monday, Kiren Rijiju clearly informed the media and also told the House that the home minister is ready to discuss every point with clarity.
But Rahul Gandhi was missing.
Today also, you will see that Gandhi and his people will not allow the House to function," he said.
BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said it is a matter of student welfare, and hence should not be politicised.
He accused Gandhi of refusing to listen to the government's response.
"When the home minister is ready to give a reply, Rahul Gandhi is not ready to listen.
I would say Gandhi's position is like that of a stubborn child who is not ready to listen to anything," Trivedi said.
He said Gandhi should listen to the facts in Parliament and visit Ranchi.
BJP MP Anurag Thakur said the Congress-JMM government in Jharkhand must ensure justice for students who have been protesting for the last two weeks.
"Instead, the Congress-led government and its alliance have used lathis against the students and injured them.
No one has resigned," he said.
Thakur also attacked Gandhi for not being present in the House while Amit Shah was ready to respond to the issues raised by the opposition.
"Rahul Gandhi only makes comments.
The Congress party has become a shop of lies and is trying to do politics using students," he said.
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey accused Gandhi of adopting a "double character" over the Jharkhand student protests and demanded that the Congress withdraw support from the Jharkhand government if it was genuinely concerned about the students.
"Devendra Nath Mahto, who was on a hunger strike, was lathi-charged.
On this basis, withdraw support to the government if you have the courage, if you have the capability and if you are truly a well-wisher of the students," he said.
BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad also accused Gandhi of adopting "double standards".
"Police are using force, and here they give speeches.
Their (Jharkhand) government runs on Gandhi's shoulders, but they do not say anything.
This is Rahul Gandhi's double standard.
He is a hypocrite," Prasad said.
BJP MP Kangana Ranaut demanded answers over the alleged police action against students.
"First of all, look at what is happening in Jharkhand.
The children are being subjected to atrocities.
They have been beaten very brutally.
Water cannons and tear gas are being used against them.
We are demanding answers on this," Ranaut said.
Several agitators and four policemen were injured during a clash near the Jharkhand Assembly on Monday, as police used water cannons, tear gas and lathi-charged job aspirants protesting against alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations, officials said.
The clash took place after the protesters breached multiple barricades near the Jharkhand Vidhan Sabha.
Meanwhile, Opposition MPs, including Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, staged a counter-protest in the Parliament complex over alleged police excesses against student protesters and the alleged theft of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
The rival protests saw members of the ruling and Opposition camps come face-to-face, with security personnel forming a cordon between them.
The Jharkhand student agitation intensified on Monday after thousands of job aspirants marched towards the state Assembly over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations. Police used water cannons and resorted to lathi-charge after protesters breached multiple barricades. The Enforcement Directorate has also launched a money-laundering probe into the alleged recruitment exam anomalies.
(With inputs from PTI)