'Amit Shah responsible': Rahul Gandhi escalates attack over student protest crackdown

In a no-holds-barred attack on Home Minister Amit Shah, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday alleged that the BJP leader was responsible for the violence against protesting youngsters and does not have the courage to explain in Parliament what happened with the students.

The Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha made the remarks after meeting a group of students who had protested last month seeking then Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over the paper leaks issue and faced alleged police excesses on July 20.

Rahul Gandhi meets protesting students

"I just met young protesters from various states and had a discussion. I want to thank them and I am proud of thousands of students like them as they fought for the Constitution, the education system and the future of India," Gandhi told reporters outside former Congress president Sonia Gandhi's 10, Janpath residence.

"They mentioned to me how they were assaulted, beaten and threatened... They have defended the Constitution, protected the idea of India and the future of India," Gandhi said, flanked by the students.

He further said that complaining about the education system, which is flawed, collapsing and useless, is not a crime.

"If anything, the system needs to be changed, it needs to be corrected and that is all they (the students) were asking for. They were not indulging in violence, they were not being aggressive or nasty. They were beaten, assaulted and threatened," Gandhi alleged.

"Forcing them, sending 'goondas' and forcibly taking their apology, taking apology from a 15-year-old and accepting that apology, is nonsense and unacceptable to us," he said.

Gandhi called for an education system that works, exam leaks to stop and the future to be respected and protected.

Sharp attack on Amit Shah

Attacking Shah, Gandhi alleged that the person who is responsible for this violence is the Home Minister.

"The person who had pellet gun fired at this young lady, the person who had a pellet gun fired at that young man whom I brought before the press a few days ago, the person who has turned the police force against this young lady, is Amit Shah and he is the Home Minister of India," Gandhi said.

"He (Shah) does not have the decency to come to Parliament. He does not have the decency or the courage to comment on what has happened.

"There are two possibilities: he did not know that violence was carried out on children, in which case he is incompetent; or he ordered that the pellet gun be fired and violence unleashed against youngsters, which means he is culpable. Either way, he is responsible," the former Congress chief said.