# Kapil Sibal hits back at Kiren Rijiju over pellet gun remark

2026-10-30T18:12:51+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 3 independent outlets

Kapil Sibal questioned whether the UPA government had ever used pellet guns or lathi-charge against protesters, after Union Minister Kiren Rijiju shared a 2011 video of Sibal saying the right to protest was not a right to protest at a place of one's choice. Sibal, speaking at a press conference on Friday, said the Congress-led government had never stopped people from protesting and that the right to protest was a constitutional right. Rijiju, in a post on Thursday, had called Sibal a ‘Dimagi Naxal’ and said he had exposed Congress 'secrets'. Sibal questioned Rijiju's legal experience, saying he had never seen him in court. Sibal also criticised the functioning of Parliament under the current government, alleging that bills were passed without discussion and the Opposition's voice was not heard. He said that history would repeat itself by 2029.

## Indian Opinion Analysis

Kapil Sibal and Kiren Rijiju traded barbs on Friday over an old video of Sibal's remarks on the right to protest. Sibal questioned Rijiju's legal experience, saying he had never seen him in court, and asked whether the UPA government had used pellet guns or lathi-charge against protesters. All three sources report the core exchange, but Times Now adds Sibal's broader criticism of the BJP government, including allegations of manipulating electoral rolls and denying Opposition protests. The other two stay closer to the direct Sibal-Rijiju exchange. The newindianexpress.com and Times of India versions include Sibal's prediction that history would repeat itself by 2029. No source contradicts another on the central facts of the day's political sparring.

## Coverage

Coverage: 3 sources, 3 neutral
- newindianexpress.com (neutral report) <https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/Oct/30/did-we-use-pellet-guns-sibal-slams-rijiju-for-citing-2011-remarks-on-anti-upa-protest-2>
  Neutral report of the exchange with some context on Rijiju's posts
- timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report) <https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/did-we-use-pellet-guns-kapil-sibal-hits-back-at-kiren-rijiju-over-remarks-on-protests-under-congress-rule/articleshow/135366874.cms>
  Neutral report with added background on July 2026 protests
- timesnownews.com (neutral report) <https://www.timesnownews.com/india/i-ve-never-seen-him-in-court-kapil-sibal-takes-dig-at-kiren-rijiju-says-he-should-maintain-dignity-of-his-position-article-156437207>
  Neutral report but includes Sibal's wider criticism of BJP policies

This brief was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry.

Tags: BJP, Congress, Kapil Sibal, Kiren Rijiju, Parliament
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Cite: https://indianopinion.org/kapil-sibal-hits-back-at-kiren-rijiju-over-pellet-gun-remark/#story-in-brief

How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/