Published Aug 12, 2026 | 3:29 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 12, 2026 | 3:29 PM
Union Minister Amit Shah.
Synopsis: Union Home Minister Amit Shah, responding for the first time after weeks of Opposition protests over alleged police violence against CJP protesters, questioned the need to attend Parliament amid repeated disruptions. He said he was ready to answer all questions concerning the issue and offered an extended debate from 3 PM on Wednesday.
In his first response after weeks of Opposition protests demanding accountability for the police violence against CJP protesters and questioning his absence from Parliament, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday, 12 August, asked, “What is the point” of going to the House amid continuous disruptions?
“The Opposition is not letting the Parliament function. So what is the point of going to the House?” the minister asked while speaking to the media.
Shah’s response came after nearly 20 days of Opposition protests, both inside and outside the Parliament, demanding accountability from the Home Minister for the violent police crackdown on student protesters during the July 20 march led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).
According to reports, Delhi police and central forces used brutal violence against the protesters, including pellet guns and batons embedded with nails, which left some with serious injuries. Since the central forces and the Delhi Police directly come under the charge of the Home Minister, the Opposition has been pressing for answers regarding who ordered the violence against the students.
The Monsoon session of the Parliament has been disrupted repeatedly as the opposition stood firm on their demands for accountability from the minister and a discussion on the same in the Parliament. Meanwhile, Shah stopped coming to the Parliament, further intensifying Opposition criticism.
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Speaking to the media, Shah said the government is willing to discuss the issue from 3 PM on Wednesday till the next day. He said he will be present in the House during the debate and will answer all the questions raised by the Opposition at 3 PM on the next day, August 13.
“I have stated that I am ready to answer any question in Parliament, yet they simply do not want the discussion to take place. Now, let the public decide who is running away. Let them submit a letter to the Speaker by 3:00 PM today. We are ready for a discussion on all aspects from 3:00 PM today until 3:00 PM tomorrow. I will sit in the House; I will listen to everyone and respond to every point. The government has nothing to hide. I will even discuss why they did not want the discussion to happen. The NDA government—under Modi ji’s leadership is ready to discuss anything; they just need to let Parliament function,” Shah said.
Justifying his absence from the House, the minister blamed the opposition for staging protests and disrupting the Parliament.
“First of all, terms like ‘laapata’, ‘bhaag gaye’ are the kind of language increasingly being heard in India’s public and parliamentary life. I have been coming to Parliament regularly since the session began; I sit in my chamber, but since the Opposition is not allowing Parliament to function—in either House—what is one supposed to do? As for the discussion, Kiren Rijiju, our Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, has made it very clear that the government is ready for a full discussion regarding the NEET protests. We asked for a time to be fixed and for the Opposition to be ready,” he said.
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Responding to Amit Shah’s offer of a discussion in the Parliament, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said the opposition parties are not interested in the home minister giving a lecture.
“The Opposition has clearly said that we are not interested in Amit Shah giving us a lecture. When I say ‘we’, I mean the younger generation of this country. Who shot the students? Who gave the order to beat up the students with lathis with nails? Did Amit Shah give this order to shoot our children? If he did, then he should resign. For the last 20 days, Amit Shah has been missing. The Home Minister of India has no courage; he cannot come to the House.” he said.
(Compiled by Fayisa CA)
