"Who gave the order?" : Opposition demands answers on alleged police brutality during 'Cockroach' demonstration
Opposition lawmakers were seen holding a banner with the text "Who gave the order?" as they demanded that Union Home Minister Shah answer questions in Parliament over the reported use of pellet guns on the protesters.
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi railed against Shah for not addressing the alleged police excesses, which occurred on the first day of Parliament's second session of the year.
"Why is Amit Shah so scared of coming to Parliament and explaining the brutal violence against students?" Gandhi wrote on X.
"It reeks of guilt," the Congress leader said.
Why is Amit Shah so scared of coming to Parliament and explaining the brutal violence against students?
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 30, 2026
It reeks of guilt.
Gandhi called for the constitution of a Supreme Court-monitored high-powered committee to probe the allegations of police brutality against demonstrators.
"Students deserve justice," he said as he called for an independent committee and shared a video purportedly showing police baton-charging protesters and a man, not in uniform, throwing a protester carrying the Indian flag to the ground.
Students deserve justice.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 30, 2026
An independent SC monitored high powered committee must be constituted to probe brutalities against our students. pic.twitter.com/pZATUeAjwC
On Wednesday, Gandhi held a press conference calling for Shah's sacking as he accused the minister of ordering the police action on the youth protesters.
He alleged that Shah was either "culpable" if he gave the order or "incompetent" if he did not know what was happening as police clamped down on the protesters demanding the education minister's resignation over a major medical college entrance exam paper leak. ALSO READ: Iran war: US launches strikes on Iran as 'powerful response'
What has the government said on Gandhi's allegations against Amit Shah?
Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Wednesday dismissed Gandhi's claim that Shah ordered the police action.
Speaking in Parliament's lower house, the Lok Sabha, Singh questioned Gandhi's understanding of the administration, saying that orders to open fire "could only be given by a magistrate and not any minister."
Singh also said that no shots were fired at the protesters and only tear gas was used.
''मोदी-शाह सदन में आओ''
— Congress (@INCIndia) July 30, 2026
संसद परिसर, दिल्ली pic.twitter.com/AXcdH2V2lm
On Thursday, the opposition MPs also held demonstrations over an alleged donation theft linked to the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, a shrine key to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu-first politics, officials said.
