Who ordered firing on students? Don’t want Amit Shah’s fantasy conversation: Rahul Gandhi

Soon after the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting of the Lok Sabha, Rijiju said, “We have made it clear to the BAC of the Lok Sabha that the government is ready for a full-fledged discussion on the student and youth agitations that have been going on in different parts of the country as well as police action. The Home Minister will give point-by-point reply to the debate on behalf of the government,” he said.

The Opposition, however, he said, has to assure they will take part in the debate peacefully without creating disruptions, and will not run away after creating turmoil and sloganeering by citing some excuses.

On Monday evening, at a press conference at Indira Bhavan, Rahul Gandhi said, “The question was never that Amit Shah is going to come and give a speech on some general topics in Parliament. The question was always that Amit Shah has to make it clear who authorised the shooting of our youngsters in Delhi. He is the home minister, pellet guns were fired, students beaten with lathis (fitted) with nails. The question was Amit Shah should come clean — did he order it (the firing) or not? If he did order it, he is guilty of getting our children shot at. And if he didn’t know about it happening, he is incompetent. Either way he should go. This was the discussion.”

He said there were two other conditions of the Opposition — an apology from PM Modi and a discussion on the alleged Ram temple donation theft.

“We want to know who is responsible and culpable. Second, the PM apologises for what had happened. And third, the issue of Ram temple theft… Now Amit Shah is suddenly saying that he is ready to speak, we are not interested in his fantasy conversations. We are interested in whether he authorised or not the firing on our children. He should make that abundantly clear. After that, the question of any other discussion arises. That is what the Opposition has demanded for 15 days and we continue to demand,” said Gandhi, who was addressing reporters along with Congress president and Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge.

“For 15 days, neither of them (Modi and Shah) has had the courage to come to the House, neither has had the guts to own up to what they have done. I am saying courage and stressing on it. That is for our students to see and understand. That neither of them think what had been done to you in Delhi, the brutality is worth commenting on. This is what the real issue is,” said Gandhi.

“We and the country have no interest in what he (Shah) thinks. We want to know who ordered the firing. We want to know whether it is culpability or incompetence… He doesn’t have the guts to stand in front of us. The PM also doesn’t,” said Gandhi.

On police’s use of water cannons, tear gas and a lathi-charge on job aspirants protesting in Ranchi against alleged irregularities in recruitment exams in ally JMM-ruled Jharkhand, Gandhi said, “My message is clear for Jharkhand students. We condemn any violence against peacefully protesting students. Doesn’t matter where it is happening. We have no confusion. We are against violence on any peaceful protest.”