Rahul Gandhi accuses Centre of lying about injuries during student protests

Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, on Tuesday accused the Centre of downplaying injuries suffered by students during the Cockroach Janta Party-led protests in Delhi, after Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said no protester suffered a serious injury.

Sharing a video of Rijiju’s remarks on X, Gandhi said he had personally met several injured protesters. He alleged that police used pellet guns and lathis fitted with nails when students marched towards Parliament on July 20 while demanding the resignation of then Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

“Half a kilometre from Parliament, pellet guns were fired at peaceful students, lathis studded with nails were used, one child’s eye was lost, one girl’s ear was severed. Should we praise this brutality?” Gandhi said.

He said thousands of videos of the police action had been viewed across the country and accused the government of denying what had happened.

“Don’t lie to the children of this country. They have eyes and memories too,” Gandhi said.

Rijiju, in an interview with ANI, said no protester had died, suffered a broken bone or been admitted to hospital with a serious injury. He said the Delhi Police and administration should be praised for managing a protest involving thousands of people without deaths or serious injuries.

Rijiju also said people from several political groups had joined the protest and accused some of them of provoking violence. He said protesters were stopped only when they forcefully marched towards Parliament.

He rejected claims that the police had used excessive force, saying no lathi was used during the protest.

The remarks have triggered a fresh political confrontation over the police response to the July 20 student demonstrations.