NEW DELHI: The impasse over the NEET paper leak continued to cripple Parliament on Thursday, with both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha failing to function for the fourth consecutive day as the Opposition persisted with its demand for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation and the government stood firm.
Sources said that though Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has reached out to floor leaders of the Opposition parties, they insisted on Pradhan’s resignation before any debate takes place.
According to sources, at the INDIA bloc meet in the morning, Opposition parties unanimously resolved to stick to first demanding the resignation of Pradhan and only thereafter pressing for a discussion under an adjournment motion on the alleged NEET paper leak in the Lok sabha and under ‘Rule 267 in the Rajya Sabha’.
While Lok Sabha proceedings witnessed multiple adjournments as Opposition MPs raised slogans, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju accused them of imposing “pre-conditions” to avoid a discussion. He added that Opposition members could speak “for as long as they want” and that the discussion could continue “even for two days”.
“The government would also like to put across its point of view on the matter,” Rijiju said.
Rijiju also said the date and duration of the discussion in both Houses could be decided by the Opposition and that the government had approached the Congress and other Opposition parties to hold the debate.
Ahead of the proceedings, Opposition and ruling party MPs staged counter protests and faced off against each other outside Parliament, leading to a tense situation.
A large number of MPs belonging to both camps stood outside the Makar Dwar of Parliament and raised slogans against the other side. While the ruling party MPs raised slogans against the Opposition for politicising the paper leak issue and raised slogans lilke “sharam karo, and “Vande Mataram”, the opposition INDIA bloc MPs demanded the resignation of Pradhan. Congress parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and several Congress and other MPs also held a big banner seeking Pradhan’s resignation.
In the Rajya Sabha, proceedings were repeatedly adjourned before the House was finally adjourned till Friday. Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge reiterated that Pradhan must resign before any discussion could begin. “Until Pradhan resigns, discussion will not start,” Kharge said.
Kharge said the PM had remained silent on this serious issue for a long time while students were forced to face police action.
Responding, Leader of the House JP Nadda accused the Opposition of obstructing Parliament. “They neither want any discussion nor let the House function. First, they told us to discuss the paper leak, and the government said we would discuss NEET and all other issues,” Nadda said.
Reacting to the PM’s post, Rahul Gandhi accused him of harming the future of the youth as well as the destruction of the education system.
“You are the one who has harmed the future of our youth the most. You allowed and encouraged the total capture and destruction of our education system,” he wrote.