Who gave the order? Rahul Gandhi to Amit Shah over 'barbaric assault' on students

In his letter to Amit Shah, Rahul Gandhi sought accountability from the Centre over the use of excessive force to suppress a movement, which, according to him, was peaceful and asked for a fair education system.Rahul Gandhi writes to Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the use of force to suppress students' protestIn a letter to the Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi sought accountability from the government over the use of excessive force on students protesting at Delhi's Jantar Mantar.Gandhi alleged that students protesting peacefully for a "fair and accountable education system" were met with excessive force instead of being heard."I write to demand accountability for the barbaric assault on students who were peacefully protesting in Delhi on July 20, 2026," Gandhi wrote at the outset of the letter.The Congress MP alleged that security forces assaulted protesters "with indiscriminate force, including lethal weapons and tear gas", claiming that hundreds sustained serious injuries during the crackdown. He further alleged that women students were assaulted by policemen, including by "deliberately targeting their private parts", and described the alleged use of pellet guns as the "most shocking" aspect of the police action.Referring to media and social media reports, Gandhi said several people had suffered grievous injuries, including a journalist. He also mentioned meeting 19-year-old student Sahil Lochab, who, according to the letter, is in severe pain and is likely to lose an eye after allegedly being hit by a pellet gun. Stating that security forces deployed in Delhi ultimately report to the Union Home Ministry, Gandhi sought direct answers from Amit Shah on two key issues.First, he asked whether the Home Minister had approved the use of "lethal force", including pellet guns, against students. If not, Gandhi asked who had authorised their use.Second, he questioned the identity and authorisation of individuals seen in plain clothes allegedly beating students with lathis. "Are the people in plain clothes seen beating students with lathis police personnel or volunteers? Who authorised their deployment?" the letter asks.The letter comes amid a political row over the police action during the student protests in the national capital, with the Opposition accusing the government of using excessive force while the authorities have maintained that law and order measures were taken in response to the demonstrations.The Union Home Ministry has not yet publicly responded to Rahul Gandhi's letter.- EndsPublished By: Devika BhattacharyaPublished On: Jul 26, 2026 11:42 IST