Archive · 5 Aug 2026
Rahul Gandhi alleges goons sent to student protesters' homes
Many young people in India were upset because they believed big exams were not being handled fairly.
They started protests in Delhi, and the police tried to stop them on July 20 with sticks, tear gas, and pellet guns, and some people got hurt.
A woman's ear was hurt by a pellet, and another woman said a police officer hit her.
A leader named Rahul Gandhi said the students are now being scared at home, with bad people being sent to their houses.
He also said the Home Minister, Amit Shah, is responsible for the violence during the protest.
The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, said he wants to forgive the students, and that they are 'misguided' and should be shown the right path.
A 15-year-old girl had to say sorry for writing mean things about the Prime Minister online, which Gandhi thinks is unfair.
The protest started because people wanted the education minister to quit, and he did resign on July 25.
Gandhi said the government is trying to scare young people, but they will not be silenced.
Rahul Gandhi alleged at a press conference that goons are being sent to the homes of students who protested in July against alleged mismanagement of competitive examinations.
Gandhi said protesters face harassment, violence and torture, and claimed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah lack the courage to face them.
Gandhi held Amit Shah responsible for the July 20 police crackdown on the march to Parliament, saying Shah was either incompetent or culpable.
Modi had said he wanted to forgive students who made allegedly objectionable remarks about him, citing a 'cultural shock' about daughters using such language; a 15-year-old girl in Noida later apologised.
The agitation began June 6 at Delhi's Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who resigned on July 25 after the July 20 police action spread protests nationwide.
- Who
- Congress leader Rahul Gandhi; Prime Minister Narendra Modi; Union Home Minister Amit Shah; student protesters including a 15-year-old girl in Noida; former education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
- What
- Allegations that student protesters against exam mismanagement are being harassed, including goons being sent to their homes, and a blame dispute over the July 20 police crackdown on the march to Parliament.
- When
- Rahul Gandhi spoke at a Wednesday press conference; protests began June 6; the police crackdown occurred July 20; Pradhan resigned July 25; Modi posted a forgiving video message the preceding Friday.
- Where
- Delhi, including a press conference with protesters from New Delhi, Mumbai, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh, protests at Jantar Mantar and the march to Parliament; a 15-year-old girl was booked in Noida.
- Why
- Because of protests against alleged mismanagement of competitive examinations and the police force used against student demonstrators.
Opposition (Congress)
Government (Modi-Shah)
Treatment of student protesters
Opposition (Congress)
Protesters have done nothing wrong and owe no apology; they are being harassed, tortured and threatened, with goons sent to their homes.
Government (Modi-Shah)
The students are 'misguided' and made objectionable remarks; they should be forgiven and shown 'the right path' (as PM Modi stated).
Responsibility for July 20 police action
Opposition (Congress)
Amit Shah is responsible: if he did not know about the violence he is incompetent, and if he ordered it he is culpable.
Government (Modi-Shah)
No government rebuttal is reported; PM Modi instead focused on forgiveness for the students' objectionable remarks as the Opposition demands a statement from Shah in Parliament.
Apology by the 15-year-old
Opposition (Congress)
Forcing a 15-year-old girl to apologise and then accepting the apology is 'complete nonsense.'
Government (Modi-Shah)
PM Modi welcomed forgiving the girl, describing the language used as a 'cultural shock' and saying the students are misguided and need the right path.
- Event
- Youth protests against alleged mismanagement of competitive examinations
- Protests began
- June 6, at Jantar Mantar, Delhi, demanding the education minister's resignation
- Police crackdown
- July 20, against protesters marching to Parliament; lathis, tear gas and pellet guns used
- Resignation
- Dharmendra Pradhan resigned as education minister on July 25
- Key allegation
- Goons being sent to student protesters' homes; protesters facing harassment, violence and torture
- Gandhi on Amit Shah
- Either incompetent (if unaware of the violence) or culpable (if he ordered it)
- Injured protester
- A 32-year-old woman injured in the ear by a pellet gun on July 20
- 15-year-old in Noida
- Booked for purportedly objectionable remarks about PM Modi; later apologised