The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 amid repeated disruptions and heated exchanges between the ruling party and the Opposition. The debate on the proposed law took place against the backdrop of a political controversy over Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's remarks against Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Gandhi alleged that Shah ordered the use of pellet guns on student protesters during the July 20 Sansad Chalo march from Delhi's Jantar Mantar. His statement sparked strong protests from the Treasury benches and led to repeated interruptions in the House.

The Centre had introduced the amendment bill on Monday, just days after nationwide protests over the alleged NEET paper leak resulted in the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as Union Education Minister. The government said the proposed amendments would strengthen the existing law and impose stricter punishment on those involved in examination-related fraud.

The amendment bill seeks to revise the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act by introducing tougher penalties for people responsible for examination paper leaks. Under the proposed changes, those found guilty could face up to 10 years in prison. They could also be fined up to Rs 50 lakh. The government said the stricter provisions aim to protect the integrity of public examinations and deter organised cheating networks.

The alleged NEET paper leak has remained a major issue since the beginning of the Monsoon Session of Parliament on July 20. Opposition parties have repeatedly raised the matter inside both Houses and demanded accountability from the government. The continued protests over the issue disrupted parliamentary proceedings on several occasions and limited legislative business mainly to the introduction of two bills during the session.

The discussion on the amendment bill took a sharp political turn when Rahul Gandhi accused Amit Shah of authorising police action against students during the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar. Shah was not present in the Lok Sabha when Gandhi made the allegations. The Congress leader claimed that the Home Minister was responsible for the police action against the student demonstrators.

During his speech, Rahul Gandhi said, "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." He made the remarks while referring to the police action that took place during the CJP-led protest in Delhi.

Gandhi also said, "the use of force can only be authorised by the Minister or the Prime Minister." His remarks immediately drew sharp reactions from members of the ruling alliance. BJP and NDA MPs strongly objected to the allegations and questioned the basis of his claims.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju responded during the debate and demanded that Rahul Gandhi produce evidence to support the allegations made against the Home Minister. Members of the Treasury benches accused the Congress leader of making serious allegations without proof. The protests led to sloganeering inside the House and briefly disrupted the proceedings. Several BJP members also demanded an apology from Gandhi over his remarks.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla intervened during the debate and reminded Rahul Gandhi that allegations made inside Parliament must be supported by evidence. The Speaker stressed that members should follow parliamentary rules while making statements against any individual.

Replying to the debate on behalf of the government, Union Minister Jitendra Singh rejected Rahul Gandhi's allegations. He described the claims as "factually incorrect" and clarified the government's position on the July 20 incident. Singh said that no bullets were fired during the protest and stated that no order to open fire had been issued against the demonstrators.

Despite the repeated disruptions and political confrontation, the Lok Sabha completed the legislative process and passed the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026. The bill now moves ahead as the government pushes for stricter action against examination paper leaks. At the same time, the political dispute over the July 20 police action and Rahul Gandhi's allegations continued to dominate proceedings in Parliament, keeping the issue at the centre of national political debate.