NEW DELHI: The Parliament stand-off continued on Monday even after the government offered a debate and Home Minister Amit Shah’s reply on the student protests and police action, with the Congress insisting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi reply to a discussion on the donation theft at the Ayodhya Ram temple.
While Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi demanded that Shah disclose who authorised the use of pellet guns against the protesters,
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju hit back saying Shah will give a proper reply but the Opposition should not try to run away from the discussion by disrupting House proceedings.
Speaking to reporters after the Business Advisory Committee meeting, Rijiju said the government is ready for a full-fledged discussion in the Lok Sabha on the student protests and police action across the country and Shah will reply to the debate, provided the Opposition promises to listen peacefully.
Shah has not been seen in the House in the ongoing session even though he has been regularly coming to Parliament House complex.
On a question whether the issue of alleged theft of donation will also be discussed, he said the Uttar Pradesh government’s probe through a special investigation team and several other steps are going on.
Responding to the government’s offer that Shah will speak in Parliament, Rahul said the question was never about whether Shah can give a speech in Parliament on ‘general issues’.
“The question was that Home Minister Shah has to make it clear who authorised the shooting of our children in Delhi. He is the home minister; pellet guns were fired,” Rahul said, asking Shah to come clean on whether he gave the firing orders or not.
Talking to the media alongside party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul said if Shah ordered it, he is culpable; if he didn’t know, he is incompetent, adding Shah “should go” either way.
Rahul added that Modi must apologise for the police action during the protests.
The third issue, he said, is the Ayodhya donation theft.
Kharge said the Opposition wanted a discussion on these issues but the government did not say anything for 15 days, which shows it did not want a discussion.
Congress is shifting goalposts: Nadda
Responding to Rahul Gandhi’s charges, Union Health Minister JP Nadda said the Congress is repeatedly shifting goalposts to disrupt Parliament. He said the Opposition party’s demand moved from a debate on NEET paper leak, a statement from Home Minister Amit Shah on the student protests, and then to the Ram temple trust issue
