Imran Khan's image has burst like a balloon, doesn't have the courage to come to parliament: Rahul

In the Lok Sabha, Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on Home Minister Amit Shah, saying he has been absent from the House for the past 20 days and lacks the courage to come to Parliament and answer questions related to police action on students.

Mr. Gandhi said on Wednesday while talking to journalists in the Parliament House complex that the opposition does not want to hear Mr. Shah's speech, but rather wants answers to questions about the action taken against students. He should have the courage to come to Parliament, but it seems the Home Minister is more concerned about his image, hence avoiding the House. He said, "The truth is that Amit Shah's image balloon has burst. He does not have the courage to come to Parliament. He has been absent for 20 days. He used to sit here, his car would come and go. There are about 30 cars in his convoy and thousands of policemen stand outside his house, fearing that some child might come. Now, an attempt is being made to fill air back into this balloon, but it has already burst. Mr. Shah has no courage left. The country's Home Minister cannot come to the House."

Mr. Gandhi clarified that the opposition's demand does not change just because Mr. Shah says the government is ready for a discussion. "Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and I have held a press conference. The rest of the opposition has also clearly stated that we are not interested in hearing Mr. Shah's speech. We do not want his speech or discussion. We want a simple answer to our question. Who fired at our students? Who gave the order to fire? Who took away the vision of a student's eye? Who shot a student in the ear? Who gave the order to beat students with nail-studded batons?"

Mr. Gandhi claimed that the action was taken by the Delhi Police and Rapid Action Force, which come under the Home Ministry. He said, "Did Amit Shah order the firing on our children or not? If he did, he should resign, as he is responsible. If he did not, he should still resign, as he is incompetent."

He also questioned the media, saying that when Amit Shah speaks, journalists do not interrupt him, but opposition leaders are constantly interrupted. He asked, "When he speaks, do you interrupt him? You interrupt us 24 hours a day, but you never interrupt him. What is so special about him that the entire media stands silently in front of him?"

Mr. Gandhi said that if the country's students are not afraid of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mr. Amit Shah, then the media should not be afraid either.

In response to a question from the BJP about the incident of violence against students in Jharkhand, Mr. Gandhi said he is not silent on the issue. He said, "I am not silent on Jharkhand. I have clearly stated in a press conference that we do not accept any kind of violence against our students. I am not silent, I am speaking openly."