New Delhi: A day before the end of the monsoon session, Union home minister Amit Shah, who has been missing in parliament since the session started, justified his absence on Wednesday (August 12) by standing outside the House and saying “what is the point of going inside when proceedings are not being allowed to run.” While Shah in his first statement since July 20, asked the opposition to give a letter to the speaker to initiate a discussion on student protests, he wrote a letter himself and asked Om Birla to demarcate time in consultation with the opposition. However, neither his statement outside the House nor his letter to the speaker made any mention of the police action on protesters, on which the opposition has for the last three weeks been demanding a statement in the House. Leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi on the other hand, said Shah’s “balloon had burst” and the opposition is not interested in the home minister’s lecture, and only wanted to know if he ordered protesters to be shot at.Also read: Are We Underestimating the Value of Decency in Political Leadership?Shah’s statement on Wednesday was the first since July 20, when protesters who had responded to the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP)’s Sansad Chalo march were met with the Delhi Police’s brute force on July 20 when tear gas, batons with nails and pellet guns were unleashed on them. Since then the opposition has continued to demand his statement inside parliament on the police action, but the home minister has not just maintained silence but remained absent from House proceedings. While he chose to break his silence on Wednesday, his statement too came outside the parliament building, when he said that he has been coming to parliament “regularly” and “sitting in his chamber”.Also read: Why Home Minister Amit Shah Must Resign“Words like ‘missing’ and ‘fugitives’ are terms that have only recently begun to be heard in India’s public and parliamentary discourse. Ever since the parliament session began, I have been coming regularly and sitting in my chamber. Because the Opposition is not allowing parliament to function in either House, what is the point of anyone going inside when the proceedings are not being allowed to run?” said Shah.“Koi andar ja ke kya karega?” Says Union Home Minister Amit Shah Amid Demands for Statement in Parliament pic.twitter.com/vF1y4PiMsn— The Wire (@thewire_in) August 12, 2026Shah then said that if the opposition gave a notice to the Lok Sabha speaker Birla to begin a discussion on student protests related to the NEET exam, the debate could begin as early as 3pm with his reply on Thursday at 3 pm.“As far as the issue of discussion is concerned, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has made it very clear that the government is ready for a discussion on all aspects of the students’ protests related to the NEET issue. The Opposition had initially demanded that time be allotted for a discussion and that the government should agree to it. We have agreed to it. I have also made it clear from my side that I am ready to answer any questions in Parliament. But they do not want the discussion to take place. Now, let the people decide who is actually running away,” he said. Leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. Photo: Screengrab from Youtube video | The Wire and PTI.Shah’s statement comes days after Rijiju said in the House that the government is ready for a discussion on student protests, but leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi at a press conference on Tuesday said that the country demanded Shah’s statement on the police action and not his opinions on education.“Even today, I am saying that they should submit a letter to the speaker by 3 pm. We are ready for all kinds of discussions from 3 pm today until 3 pm tomorrow. I will remain present in the House, listen to everyone and answer every question. The government has nothing to hide. I am also ready to discuss why they do not want a discussion. The BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party] government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the NDA government under his leadership, is ready to discuss every issue. They should allow the Parliament to function,” said Shah outside parliament on Wednesday.Shortly after, Gandhi told reporters outside parliament that the country is “not interested” in listening to Shah’s imagination and demanded his resignation.“Khargeji and I have held press conferences, and the other Opposition parties have also made it clear that we are not interested in listening to Amit Shah’s imagination. We are not interested in him giving us a lecture,” said Gandhi. Also read: In Less Than 10 Minutes and Without Debate, Lok Sabha Passes Bill to Increase Supreme Court Judges“We are interested in one simple thing. And when we say ‘we’, we mean the younger generation of this country: Who shot those students (in Delhi)? Who blinded one of the students? Who gave the order to beat the students with lathis with nails? That order was implemented by the Home Ministry. Delhi Police and RAF are both Home Ministry systems. Did Amit Shah give this order to shoot our children? If he did, he should resign because he is culpable and if he did not he should resign because he is incompetent.”Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi Retorts ‘Not Interested’ to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s ‘Ready for Debate’“Who gave the order to shoot those students?” asks @RahulGandhi#Parliament #MonsoonSession pic.twitter.com/RDgcNr0ML5— The Wire (@thewire_in) August 12, 2026Gandhi said that Shah’s balloon had run out of gas and the government is trying to “fill gas in it”.“The balloon has burst, they are trying to fill it with gas in it. Amit Shah has no courage,” he said.While Shah had asked the opposition to send a letter to the speaker, he himself wrote to Birla in the afternoon seeking that a time for discussion on the student protests and NEET be demarcated in consultation with the opposition and said he was ready to give a reply.Shah’s letter however made no mention of the police action on protesters in the national capital.When House proceedings reconvened at 2 pm, Shah remained absent as opposition members continued to protest demanding the home minister’s presence and a discussion on the Ram Mandir donation theft. Also read: Lok Sabha Passes Bill Allowing Govt to Permit Banks, Others to Charge for UPI TransactionsThe motion for the FCRA Amendment Bill, 2026 to be sent to a Joint Parliamentary Committee too was moved by Minister of State (MoS) home Nityanand Rai even though the supplementary list of business which was released just minutes before the house reconvened at 2 pm said Shah would move the motion.BJP MP Jagdambika Pal who was presiding over the proceedings said that the government had already said they are ready for a discussion and asked opposition members who were protesting in the well to go back to their seats. Rijiju rose from his seat to say that the government is ready to start the discussion if the opposition stops disruptions.Also read: Who Is the Pappu Now?The House was adjourned for the day amid the din, with Shah once again remaining absent.Outside the House, Rijiju accused the Congress of running away from discussion and said the government would extend the session if the opposition agrees to a debate.“We are saying that if the Congress states even tomorrow morning at 11am that they are ready for the discussion, we will extend the time. We are ready for the discussion. You should ask Congress why they got scared and why they fled. I never imagined the Congress would become so weak,” said Rijiju.