BJP Condemns Kharge's Remarks as Threat Against Amit Shah

In a heated session of the Rajya Sabha, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took a strong stance against Mallikarjun Kharge, the Leader of Opposition, accusing him of issuing a 'threat of violence' towards Union Home Minister Amit Shah. This accusation arose during Kharge's remarks while discussing the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026. The controversy ignited when Kharge criticized the government's handling of student protests related to the NEET paper leak and alleged irregularities in the education sector, which had taken place at Jantar Mantar the previous week. His comments included a call for Shah's resignation, holding him accountable for the police's aggressive response to the demonstrators. Kharge stated, 'Home Minister Amit Shah must give an answer on police brutality. Why is he silent on the crackdown? He must clarify. If not, he must resign,' further adding, 'The Home Minister is hiding behind closed doors. We will drag you out someday.' These remarks triggered an uproar from the ruling party members, who interpreted his words as a direct threat against Shah.

The BJP's response was swift and forceful, with members of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) vocally objecting to Kharge's statements. They characterized his comments as a serious breach of decorum and an example of the Congress party's decline in parliamentary standards. Union Minister Jitendra Singh, who defended the Amendment Bill during the session, pointed fingers at the previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government for its failure to establish a national examination agency, despite recommendations dating back to the 1990s. Singh emphasized that the current NDA government was merely completing an 'unfinished task' left by the UPA by establishing the National Testing Agency (NTA). He remarked, 'The irony is that the first time the suggestion for setting up a national agency came was way back in 1992. It was a Congress government at the Center. A series of committees were formed, and in the UPA in 2010, again, a very strong suggestion from one of the committees set up by them came to set up a national testing agency.' Singh concluded by expressing confidence that the Congress would eventually recognize and appreciate the NDA's efforts in fulfilling this long-standing agenda.