Rahul Gandhi's anecdote about student who defined 'andhbhakt' causes uproar
What's the story
The Lok Sabha witnessed a ruckus on Wednesday after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi used the words "idiots" and "andhbhakts" in his speech. The Leader of the Opposition was speaking on the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, when he referred to three categories of people: students, idiots, and andhbhakts. He said these terms were given by an 18-year-old student during their conversation about recent student protests.
Gandhi
Gandhi narrates conversation
Narrating his conversation with the student, he said, "She said the student wears the truth on his/her chest proudly....She said the other type requires an image. It requires an image and as the image is not true because the idiot is trying to pretend that he is God, he has to create this massive image."
"I asked her...where does the third category go? That of 'Andhbhakt'. She said, 'Andhbhakt' is a person who is absolutely convinced...another idiot is God..."
Unparliamentary language
NDA members call Gandhi's words 'unparliamentary'
The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) members were quick to object to Gandhi's choice of words, calling them "unparliamentary."
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju was among those who raised objections. He said, "Had Rahul Gandhi not used unparliamentary word, nobody would have objected."
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh also slammed Gandhi and called for his words to be expunged from the record.
The word used by Gandhi was subsequently expunged.
Twitter Post
Congress shares Gandhi's speech
नेता विपक्ष श्री @RahulGandhi ने बताया 'Student' कौन है और 'Idiot' कौन है?
— Congress (@INCIndia) July 29, 2026
'Idiot' शब्द आते ही BJP के लोग हल्ला करने लगे, आखिर क्यों❓
सुनिए 👇 pic.twitter.com/erpavlJK75
Political tensions
Gandhi accuses Amit Shah of excessive police action against students
Apart from his controversial remarks, Gandhi also took a dig at Home Minister Amit Shah. He accused Shah of ordering excessive police action against student protesters in New Delhi.
"The Home Minister ordered the shooting of our students. He put pellets into the blood of our students. He ordered the students of India to be shot," Gandhi said.
This drew more objections from the ruling party members who demanded an apology or justification for his allegations against Shah.
House adjourned
Speaker intervenes amid uproar, asks Gandhi to provide basis
"Can I say that Rahul Gandhi has murdered someone? Can I say that? You have to give the basis for saying something," Rijiju intervened.
Amid the uproar, Speaker Om Birla intervened but asked Gandhi to provide a basis for his allegations.
He said, "Unless you have a basis to say what you said, it can't be taken on record."
The house was later adjourned till 2:30pm.
Legislative focus
Bill seeks to prevent examination malpractices
The Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday.
The bill seeks to prevent examination malpractices by introducing harsher punishments for paper leaks and holding educational institutions accountable.
This comes after student protests over NEET exam issues led to Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation.