New Delhi: Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s nearly 50-minute speech during the debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 triggered repeated disruptions in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, as he levelled a series of sharp allegations against the Union government, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

The heated exchanges forced repeated interruptions to proceedings before the Bill was eventually passed amid noisy scenes in the House.

Gandhi alleged that the Education Ministry had effectively been controlled by the RSS and claimed that former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had merely served as its public face.

“Dharmendra Pradhan never actually ran the Education Ministry. It was the RSS that was running it,” Gandhi alleged.

He also claimed that vice-chancellors across the country’s universities had been appointed from among individuals aligned with the RSS, arguing that the education system had come under ideological influence.

Allegations Against Amit Shah Trigger Storm

Referring to the recent student protests in Delhi over alleged examination irregularities, Gandhi accused the government of suppressing dissent.

He alleged that student protesters were subjected to lathi-charge, pellet gun fire and assaults with nail-studded batons, claiming that Union Home Minister Amit Shah was aware of, and responsible for, the police action. Gandhi further alleged that one student lost vision after being hit during the protests.

The allegations prompted immediate protests from BJP members, who described the claims as baseless. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju repeatedly interrupted Gandhi’s speech, demanding evidence and insisting that he withdraw the remarks.

Rijiju accused the Congress leader of making unsubstantiated allegations and misleading the House.

He questioned the basis of Gandhi’s claims and argued that Parliament could not function on unsupported accusations. According to Opposition members, Rijiju intervened several times during the speech, demanding that Gandhi apologise.

Speaker Om Birla also repeatedly interrupted Gandhi, cautioning him against using language considered unparliamentary. Remarks including the words “idiot” and “blind devotee”, used while referring to critics of the student movement, were ordered to be expunged from the parliamentary record following objections from Treasury Bench members.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also urged the Chair to remove the expressions from the official proceedings.

“Students Were Fighting for Their Future”

Defending the student protests, Gandhi said those participating were motivated neither by anger nor hatred but by concern for their future.

“The country’s future is on the streets. The students were only raising their voices for their rights,” he said, adding that even the children of BJP leaders would sympathise with the protesters if they understood the issues involved.

He further alleged that repeated examination paper leaks reflected a systemic failure and accused the government of failing to protect the future of millions of young people.

“No Apology to BJP-RSS”

Addressing a press conference after the Lok Sabha proceedings, Gandhi alleged that he was repeatedly denied the opportunity to complete his speech despite requesting the Speaker to restore order in the House.

He claimed that Union Ministers Kiren Rijiju and Rajnath Singh were allowed to intervene multiple times, while he was prevented from responding because his remarks concerned Amit Shah.

Gandhi further alleged that he was told he would be allowed to continue only if he apologised.

“I will not apologise to the BJP-RSS. Raising students’ issues is my duty as the Leader of the Opposition,” he said.»

Seeks Shah’s Removal, Independent Inquiry

The Congress leader urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to remove Amit Shah as Union Home Minister and demanded an inquiry into the alleged police action against students under the supervision of the Supreme Court or an independent high-level committee.

He argued that there were only two possibilities: either the Home Minister had authorised the alleged use of force against students, or he was unaware of it. “If he knew, he is responsible. If he did not know, he is incompetent,” Gandhi said.

Bill Passed Amid Repeated Disruptions

The debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, continued for nearly nine hours over two days, with members of both the Treasury and Opposition benches participating.

While the government defended the proposed legislation as a step towards strengthening examination integrity, the Opposition focused on examination paper leaks, student protests and accountability.

Despite repeated slogan-shouting and disruptions, the Lok Sabha eventually passed the Bill, capping one of the most contentious debates of the ongoing Monsoon Session.