'No wrongdoing': Goyal dismisses Rahul's allegations on protest

Union Minister Piyush Goyal rejected Rahul Gandhi's allegations of police brutality during a protest at Jantar Mantar over NEET irregularities, stating the situation was 'handled correctly' and 'no wrong was done' by the authorities.

Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday dismissed Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi's allegations against Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the police action during the July 20 protest at Jantar Mantar, saying the matter had been handled appropriately and that no wrongdoing had taken place.

Speaking to reporters in Jaipur, Goyal said, "No one takes Rahul Gandhi seriously. The entire situation was handled correctly. No wrong was done."

Rahul Gandhi Slams Government, Alleges Police Brutality

Goyal's remarks came a day after Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha accused the Union government of trying to suppress democratic dissent following his interaction with protesters who had participated in the July 20 demonstration at Jantar Mantar over alleged irregularities in NEET and other competitive examinations.

Meeting several protesters, Gandhi alleged that the protesters had faced police brutality and harassment. Referring to allegations that a minor was pressured to apologise, Gandhi said, "Forcing them first, sending goons to their house, forcibly demanding an apology of a 15-year-old girl and then accepting that apology is complete nonsense. We do not accept it. We want an education system that works, we want exam leaks to stop and we want the future of this country to be respected and protected."

He also criticised the government's handling of the protest and alleged that peaceful demonstrators had been assaulted. "Complaining about the education system, which is a flawed system, a collapsing system, a useless system, is not a crime. If anything, the system needs to be changed; it needs to be corrected. That is all they were asking for. They were not doing violence, they were not being aggressive, they were not being nasty. They were beaten, assaulted and threatened," Gandhi said.

Targets Home Minister Amit Shah

Targeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Gandhi alleged that he was responsible for the police action. "They are young people who are standing here, in front of India's press. But Amit Shah and the Prime Minister don't have the courage to stand here. The person who is responsible for this violence, the person who had the pellet gun fired into this young lady, is Amit Shah - the Home Minister of India. He does not have the decency to come to Parliament; he does not have the decency or the courage to comment on what has happened," Gandhi said.

He further added, "There are only two possibilities: One, he did not know that this violence was being carried out on the children, in which case he is incompetent. Two, he ordered the shooting of the pellet gun and the violence on these children. It means he is culpable. Either way, he is responsible."

Opposition Slams Govt Over Exam Irregularities

This comes as the Opposition has been consistently slamming the Union government over alleged irregularities in NEET and other competitive examinations, accusing it of failing to ensure accountability and transparency in the examination system.

In a bid to curb examination paper leaks and unfair practices, Parliament passed the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 during the ongoing Monsoon Session.

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