Rahul Gandhi mounts strong attack on 'andhbhakts' and their idols in Lok Sabha speech

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday took a swipe at the BJP and its supporters in the Lok Sabha, saying society comprised three kinds of people — students, those who think they know everything and pretend to be God, and the "andhbhakt" who believes them.

The remarks came during a debate on the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, as Gandhi argued that the nationwide protests over the alleged NEET paper leak reflected deeper concerns about India's education system.

Quoting a conversation with an 18-year-old student, Gandhi said a student is someone with an open mind and the humility to accept that knowledge constantly evolves.

He contrasted this with a second category of people who believe they know everything, refuse to listen to others and "pretend to be God".

Describing the third category, Gandhi said an "andhbhakt" is someone who believes the second category is God.

The analogy triggered loud protests from the treasury benches, with Speaker Om Birla directing Gandhi to confine his remarks to the subject under discussion and announcing that unparliamentary expressions would be expunged from the proceedings.

'RSS controls education system'

Gandhi also accused the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of exercising control over the country's education system, alleging that Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan was merely a "symbol".

"The soul of the system has been captured by the RSS. Dharmendra Pradhan never ran the education ministry. The man and organisation that run the ministry is called the RSS," Gandhi alleged.

He claimed universities across the country were headed by vice-chancellors aligned with the RSS and accused the organisation of shaping what students were taught.

Calling the protests over the alleged NEET paper leak an expression of the aspirations of India's youth, Gandhi said they deserved respect from all political parties.

"I was very excited, reassured by what the future of this country did on our streets. This was not anger, not violence, not hatred; this was an expression of the youth of this country," he said.

He said the protesters had overcome fear and raised legitimate questions about education, jobs and the country's future.

Amit Shah remarks spark uproar

Earlier in the debate, Gandhi alleged that Home Minister Amit Shah had authorised police action against student protesters during the July 20 march to Parliament, prompting sharp objections from the treasury benches.

Speaker Om Birla said the discussion was not about the Home Minister and asked Gandhi to substantiate his allegation, while Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju demanded an apology.

The House was adjourned twice amid the uproar.

Speaking to reporters later, Gandhi said there were only two possibilities: either the Home Minister had ordered the police action or he was unaware of it.

"In the first case, he is culpable. In the second case, he is incompetent," Gandhi said.