Band-aid when you need surgery: Rahul Gandhi on anti-paper leak bill
Rahul Gandhi criticised the anti-paper leak amendment bill as a "band-aid when you need surgery", arguing it fails to address the root causes of exam irregularities, and claimed he was prevented from speaking in the Lok Sabha for targeting Amit Shah.
Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday criticised the 'The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026' passed by the Lok Sabha, calling it a "band-aid when you need surgery" and arguing that the legislation does not address the core issues behind examination irregularities.
Speaking after the bill was passed, Rahul Gandhi said the proposed law, despite prescribing stringent punishment for paper leaks, was "not worth discussing" because no one had been convicted under the existing law.
The Congress leader also renewed his attack on Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the alleged police action against students protesting in Delhi.
Rahul Gandhi said there were "only two possibilities."
"Home Minister Amit Shah gave the order to use pellet guns, beat people with lathis, and use electric batons," he alleged.
"The second possibility is that Amit Shah did not know what was happening. If that is the case, it is incompetence. In either case, he needs to go," Gandhi said.
SAYS HE WAS NOT ALLOWED TO SPEAK IN LOK SABHA
Rahul Gandhi alleged that he was repeatedly prevented from speaking in the Lok Sabha, while Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju were allowed to speak multiple times.
"As you saw today, the LoP was not allowed to speak in the Lok Sabha. Others from the government were allowed to speak, but I was not allowed to speak," Gandhi said.
According to him, the reason cited was that he had made remarks about Amit Shah.
"I was also given an assurance that if I apologise, I would be allowed to continue speaking. The first thing is that I will never, ever apologise to the BJP, the RSS, or anyone associated with them. The second thing is that it is my right as the LoP to raise issues that are important to our country," he said.
RAISES ALLEGATIONS OVER POLICE ACTION
Rahul Gandhi said the treatment of students protesting in Delhi was the most important issue before the country.
"To me, the most important issue today is that our students were brutalised on the streets of Delhi," he said.
He alleged that students "were shot with pellet guns" and claimed that police used "shock batons" and "lathis with nails" during the crackdown.
He further alleged that facial recognition technology was being used against protesters and claimed that the Bajrang Dal was being mobilised to intimidate students so that they would not raise their voices again.
AMIT SHAH IS SCARED: RAHUL GANDHI
Rahul Gandhi claimed he saw Union Minister Jitendra Singh being called by Amit Shah during the developments. He also alleged that police officials were being called by the Home Minister.
The Congress leader further claimed that Amit Shah did not come to the Lok Sabha because he was "afraid".
"Amit Shah is not coming to the Lok Sabha. He is scared. That's why he isn't coming. He is guilty," Gandhi alleged.
Rahul Gandhi also expressed concern over FIRs registered in connection with the protests and said he wanted to draw attention to the cases being pursued.