Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi reached Parliament Street Police Station in New Delhi on Friday and staged a sit-in while seeking an update on allegations of pellet-gun use during a July 20 protest march towards Parliament.

Rahul Gandhi was accompanied by a student who was allegedly injured during the police action. He is also expected to submit a complaint seeking registration of an FIR and investigation into the incident.

The development comes amid a wider dispute between the Opposition and the government over the police response to the protest, with the Delhi Police maintaining that force was used only after demonstrators allegedly broke barricades and attacked police personnel.

Rahul Seeks Police Action

Rahul Gandhi had previously raised the alleged use of pellet guns during Parliament's Monsoon Session and sought an explanation from Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

On Friday, he went directly to Parliament Street Police Station along with an alleged victim of the incident. His visit is aimed at pressing the police to formally investigate the allegations and establish how the student sustained injuries.

The Congress leader has maintained that students participating in the protest were subjected to excessive police action.

July 20 March Led to Clashes

The controversy relates to the July 20 Parliament march organised by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), which had been protesting over the NEET paper leak and alleged irregularities in examinations.

The agitation began at Jantar Mantar on June 20. Activist Sonam Wangchuk also participated in the protest through a hunger strike.

Clashes broke out between protesters and police when demonstrators attempted to march towards Parliament on July 20. The agitation eventually ended on July 25 following the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Rahul Raised Issue in Parliament

Rahul Gandhi raised the allegations in Parliament on July 29, claiming that the Home Minister had authorised the use of bullets and pellet guns against students protesting in Delhi.

The allegation was rejected by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, who described it as serious and baseless and demanded an apology from Rahul Gandhi.

During his remarks, Rahul also referred to conversations with students who had participated in the protest, including an 18-year-old student identified as Lovely. Some of his remarks triggered objections from the ruling side and were subsequently expunged from the proceedings.

Supreme Court Orders Probe

The dispute is also being examined at the judicial level. The Supreme Court has constituted a five-member high-powered committee to investigate allegations concerning police action during the July 20 Parliament march.

The committee is headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice R. Subhash Reddy. Its members include former Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Ravi Shankar Jha, former Delhi High Court judge Justice Shalinder Kaur, former CBI Director Rishi Kumar Shukla and retired Meghalaya DGP Dr L.R. Bishnoi.

The panel is expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the police action and allegations of excessive force.

Delhi Police Rejects Allegations

The Delhi Police has denied allegations of excessive force and maintained that the July 20 march was not authorised.

During a Supreme Court hearing on August 18, the police told the court that permission had not been granted for the march towards Parliament. It also alleged that several history-sheeters were among those who joined the protest.

According to the police, protesters broke through barricades and assaulted police personnel, following which the situation ceased to remain peaceful.

The police said force was used to bring the situation under control but denied that excessive force had been used against protesters.

Probe Could Establish Facts

Rahul Gandhi's visit to the police station comes as the Supreme Court-appointed panel begins examining the competing claims.

The central issue remains whether pellet guns or other forms of excessive force were used against protesters and, if so, under what circumstances.

The investigation and the Supreme Court-monitored inquiry are expected to establish the sequence of events during the July 20 confrontation and determine the circumstances in which protesters, including the student accompanying Rahul Gandhi, sustained injuries.