New Delhi, 29 July (H.S.): The Lok Sabha witnessed two disruptions during Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s speech on the Anti-Paper Leak Bill on Wednesday. The first uproar occurred when he used the words “idiot” and “blind follower”, while the second erupted after he accused Union Home Minister Amit Shah of allowing the use of pellet guns against students. On both occasions, the ruling party strongly protested, leading to heated exchanges and chaos in the House.
Rahul Gandhi began his speech by referring to a conversation he had with some female students. He said the discussion offered an interesting perspective. Recalling the views of a young girl, he said a student is someone whose mind and heart remain open. She told him that there are people in the world who believe they know everything, consider themselves like God, and do not respect the truth or opinions of others. When he asked her what she would call such people, the girl replied, “I call them idiots.”
The remark triggered strong protests from the ruling side. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju objected to the use of the word, calling it unparliamentary and demanding that it be removed from the proceedings. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla subsequently ordered the word to be expunged from the records of the House.
Supporting student protests, Rahul Gandhi said that the demonstrations were not an expression of anger or hatred but reflected the deep emotions of the country’s youth and future generations. He said students deserve respect and BJP leaders should understand that these young people represent the future of the nation. He added that if BJP leaders asked their own children, they too would stand in support of the students.
Later, Rahul Gandhi alleged that pellet guns were used against students on the instructions of Home Minister Amit Shah. The allegation led to another uproar in the House. Kiren Rijiju demanded an apology from Rahul Gandhi, stating that such serious accusations could not be made without evidence. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh intervened and said Rahul Gandhi should be allowed to express his views, but unparliamentary remarks should be removed from the record.
Rahul Gandhi further alleged that students in India were not being given the freedom to express their views and ask questions. He claimed that they were being forced to accept a fabricated version of history. He also criticised the education system, saying it was increasingly marked by privatisation and commercialisation, describing it as a cruel and flawed system.
Amid the continued uproar in the House, Rahul Gandhi said that whenever he speaks, members from the ruling side start creating disruptions. He urged BJP leaders to respect the sentiments of students, saying that the youth are the future of the country. He also stated that there was nothing wrong with what had happened and that every Indian should feel proud of it.
Kiren Rijiju reiterated that Rahul Gandhi should apologise for his remarks. He said that the Leader of Opposition cannot make allegations against the Home Minister without any basis. The Speaker also advised Rahul Gandhi not to make accusations against anyone without supporting facts.
During the proceedings, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav supported Rahul Gandhi’s remarks, while the ruling side accused the Opposition of merely making allegations without evidence.
The Monsoon Session of Parliament has been continuously disrupted due to repeated protests. On Wednesday as well, Question Hour could not proceed, and the House was adjourned amid slogans and demonstrations by Opposition members.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
