File photo: Rahul Gandhi
NEW DELHI: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi shot off a letter to Union home minister Amit Shah, demanding accountability for police’s alleged high-handedness against protesters at Jantar Mantar, signalling a fiery start to the second week of the Monsoon session, as govt is set to table in Lok Sabha on Monday a bill that enhances punishment in cases of paper leaks as part of its raft of measures to respond to the protest.Opposition MPs said they will finalise their stand at their strategy meeting before parliamentary proceedings begin. LS leader of the opposition Rahul’s letter to Shah gave an early indication.”As home minister, did you approve the use of lethal force including pellet guns against students? If not, who did? Are the people in plainclothes seen beating students with lathis police personnel or volunteers? Youth and students, future of our country, are demanding answers and accountability,” he said, noting that security forces deployed in Delhi answer ultimately to Shah.
CJP Jantar Mantar Protest Updates
Govt won’t like to be seen as making direct concessions to Cong, say NDA circles
A day after education minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned to pacify Cockroach Janta Party and the opposition, PM Modi said in a message to students that govt will bring to Parliament the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill as he announced a taskforce for exam reforms.With govt determined to wrest back the initiative after making several concessions over the paper leak row and Congress and its allies keen to press home their advantage, both sides will need to come to an agreement for normal business to return to Parliament after the first week’s washout. The view within BJP-led NDA circles is that govt would not like to be seen making any direct concession to Congress, and instead point to the measures it has taken in the last few days.With Modi announcing the task force, Shah said this underlines govt’s principle of constant reform to safeguard future of the new generation. “The task force will ensure that no one can ever breach the sanctity of our exam system. We will impose exemplary punishment on culprits of paper leak and ensure no one ever dares commit this crime,” he said.Govt has said paper leaks have happened in different states irrespective of political affiliations of govt of the day. “Govt has shown a big heart and underscored its sincerity. We are hopeful opposition will now allow a debate to take place. But if they continue to play politics, we’ll hit back,” a govt functionary said.In his letter, Rahul accused police of “barbaric assault” on students during their march to Parliament on July 20. Congress’s Jairam Ramesh demanded an apology from Modi, with opposition MPs Sagarika Ghose of TMC and CPM’s John Brittas echoing the charge. The latter called for a judicial panel to inquire into the assault.
