Youth Congress marches to Jantar Mantar demanding Amit Shah's resignation

The Indian Youth Congress (IYC) on Wednesday held a protest march in central Delhi demanding the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the alleged use of force against students during the July 20 demonstrations.

Led by IYC national president Uday Bhanu Chib, Youth Congress workers marched from Kerala House to Jantar Mantar, accusing the Centre of failing to fix accountability for the alleged use of pellet guns and other force against protesters.

Addressing the gathering, Chib questioned whether the alleged police action had taken place on Shah's instructions or without his knowledge, saying accountability must be established in either case.

He demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi dismiss the home minister, order an independent high-level inquiry under the supervision of the Supreme Court and ensure action against those responsible for the alleged violence.

The Youth Congress said it would continue its agitation until its demands were met.

Left-backed student groups hold separate protest

In a separate demonstration at Jantar Mantar, students affiliated with several Left organisations demanded the release of students detained during recent demonstrations and an end to what they described as the "criminalisation" of student protests.

The protest, held under the banner "Student-Youth Unity; Long Live", came days after a month-long agitation over alleged examination irregularities ended with the resignation of former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

The demonstration followed a joint call by Left student organisations, including the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU), to protest what they alleged was a police crackdown on students and youth in Bihar, West Bengal and other states.

Members of the All India Students' Association (AISA), Students' Federation of India (SFI), All India Students' Federation (AISF), Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS), All India Democratic Students' Organisation (AIDSO) and several other organisations participated.

Speakers alleged that student activists were being targeted for participating in the protests and claimed several social media accounts linked to the movement had been blocked.

An AISA member alleged that more than 300 students had been arrested in Bihar and claimed four students sustained bullet injuries near AIIMS Patna during alleged police firing. These claims could not be independently verified.

The protesters demanded the immediate release of all detained students and action against police personnel over the alleged use of force during the July 20 demonstrations.

There was no immediate response from the Union Home Ministry or the Delhi Police to the allegations made by the protesters.