New Delhi

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday launched a blistering attack on Union Home Minister Amit Shah, questioning the government's accountability for the alleged use of excessive force, including lathis and pellet guns, against student protesters across the country.

Speaking to the media in the national capital, the Congress leader questioned who should be held responsible for the treatment meted out to the youth when they raise their voices for their future.

"What do you think, who is responsible? When thousands of students gather and they have one demand, you shower lathis on them, you fire pellet guns at them, and in Bihar, you use AK-47s against them," Priyanka Gandhi said.

Raising the issue of democratic accountability, she asked if the Home Minister considers himself answerable to the citizens for these actions.

"Are you not accountable to the public? So, should we just sit quietly?" she questioned, suggesting that the opposition will not remain silent while the voices of students are being suppressed through "brute force."

The remarks come amid the ongoing confrontation between the government and the Opposition over the recent student protests and the police action against demonstrators. The issue has led to repeated disruptions in Parliament, with the Opposition demanding answers from the government and Rahul Gandhi seeking a response from Shah.

The government has now offered a debate on the issue, with the Home Minister set to respond.

The development follows a series of student-led agitations in Delhi, Jharkhand, and Bihar over alleged irregularities and paper leaks in examinations. The Congress has been demanding a formal statement and an apology from the Home Minister on the floor of the House regarding the police action during these protests.

The NDA MPs also demanded answers from the Congress MP over Jharkhand's police lathi charge and use of water cannon against protesting JPSC and JSSC aspirants on Monday.

Student protesters in Jharkhand staged a demonstration outside the state Assembly in Ranchi on August 10 over their demands and alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.

The agitation intensified after students and job aspirants marched towards the Assembly, with the situation turning tense following clashes between protesters and police. Police used force to disperse the protesters after barricades were breached.

The Jharkhand student agitation has also become a political issue, with the Opposition questioning the police action and demanding that the government address the grievances of the protesting aspirants.

Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat had earlier backed the students, claiming that they were protesting peacefully and alleging that the police action was unacceptable. He also said that Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren was sensitive to the issue and referred to the arrest of a former JSSC chairman by the state CID.

The investigation into alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations has also seen several arrests, with Bhagat claiming that 20 people had been arrested so far and that the Enforcement Directorate had also stepped into the matter.

Priyanka Gandhi's remarks also came amid a broader political confrontation between the Opposition and the ruling NDA in Parliament. The two sides have been holding counter-protests over issues concerning students and examination irregularities.

The Congress has been demanding accountability over the treatment of protesting students and has criticised the use of force against demonstrators.

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Priyanka Gandhi's demand that Amit Shah make a statement came as the Opposition sought to put the Jharkhand student protests and the alleged police action at the centre of the parliamentary debate.