New Delhi [India], July 27 : Opposition parties are protesting outside Parliament as part of their continued stand on the July 20 incident and will not participate in the discussion in the House, sources said, adding that they will continue to raise their demand for accountability from the Union Home Minister over the incident.
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Monday alleged that the government was using "brutality" against protesting students, claiming that AK-47 bullets were fired at students in Bihar and pellet guns were used against students in Delhi, and demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologise to the country's students.
In a post on X, Gandhi alleged that hundreds of students had been arrested in Bihar and FIRs registered against them.
"The entire system is downright murderous against students," Gandhi said.
"News is coming in that AK-47 bullets have been fired at protesting students in Bihar, and hundreds of students have been arrested with FIRs being filed against them," he said.
Questioning the Prime Minister over an earlier assurance that no FIRs would be filed against protesting students, Gandhi said, "Mr. Modi, where did your promise go that no FIRs would be filed against students and they would be released? Instead, deadly attacks and brutality are being unleashed on them."
Gandhi alleged that similar incidents had occurred in several states, saying, "In Delhi, pellet guns were fired at students, and in Bihar, AK-47s. Whether it's Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, or Delhi--the pattern is the same everywhere."
"I've said it before: this government is dishonest. Real reform is beyond their capability. They'll backtrack on their words and use every trick in the book to suppress students' voices," he said.
Gandhi called upon the Prime Minister to apologise to students and take action against those responsible for allegedly attacking them.
"Mr. Modi, apologize to the country's students. And take action against those who attacked and crushed the students--not against the students themselves," he said.
Meanwhile, Opposition floor leaders held a crucial meeting at the office of the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, in Parliament House to deliberate on their floor strategy for the ongoing session.
The high-level meeting saw the participation of prominent leaders including Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge.
Other senior leaders present in the meeting included Saugat Roy (TMC), Mahua Manjhi (JMM), Ramji Lal Suman (SP), P. Sandosh Kumar (CPI), and senior Congress leaders KC Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh.
The development comes amid heightened political tensions over the July 20 'Chalo Sansad' march, during which students protesting irregularities in the NEET and CBSE examinations clashed with security personnel while marching from Jantar Mantar towards Parliament.
The Opposition, including the Congress, on Monday moved several adjournment motions in the Lok Sabha and suspension of business notices in the Rajya Sabha, demanding an immediate discussion on what it described as the "brutal and disproportionate" use of force by security personnel against students during the protest.
According to Delhi Police sources, at least 130 police personnel and around 65 students were injured during the demonstrations, while 15 FIRs have been registered in connection with the violence. Police also said around 3,000 personnel have been deployed in and around Jantar Mantar, where an average of 10,000 people have been gathering daily since the protests intensified.
Delhi Police further stated that Facial Recognition System (FRS) cameras are being used to identify anti-social elements entering the protest site and claimed that more than 2,000 individuals with criminal records had been identified.