NEW DELHI: Amid disruptions in Parliament, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday urged Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to facilitate a discussion in the House on alleged irregularities in the NEET examination, placing the onus on the Opposition to enable the debate.
In a letter to Birla, Shah said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju had agreed at a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee to a discussion between the Government and the Opposition on the NEET issue.
Shah pointed out that during the discussion on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, no Opposition MP had raised issues relating to the NEET examination in the House. “Despite that, the Government is fully prepared for a discussion on this issue,” he said.
He said he would remain present in the House during the allotted time to participate in the debate and answer questions from Opposition MPs.
Shah stressed that democratic solutions emerge through discussion and dialogue, adding that he had unwavering faith in democracy and democratic institutions. He said Parliament exists to facilitate discussion and urged the Speaker to consult Opposition leaders and make arrangements for a debate in a positive atmosphere, allowing MPs from both the ruling and Opposition sides to express their views.
Earlier in the day, speaking to news agencies, Shah said the Government was ready to discuss the issues raised by the Opposition and reiterated that the Modi government was prepared for any type of discussion in Parliament. He said he was ready to answer questions in the House, but alleged that the Opposition did not want the discussion to take place.
Shah said the Bharatiya Janata Party and the NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi were ready to discuss every subject and called on the Opposition to allow Parliament to function.
Putting forward a specific proposal, Shah said that if the Opposition submitted a written request for a discussion to the Lok Sabha Speaker by 2 pm, the debate could begin at 3 pm and continue until 3 pm the following day. He added that, if permitted by the Speaker, the Government was even willing to suspend Question Hour to enable a detailed discussion, which could run from 3 pm until late at night and continue until 3 pm the next day.
Shah said he would personally remain in the House, listen to the Opposition’s arguments, take notes and answer every question raised at 3 pm the following day. He maintained that the Government had nothing to hide and that a detailed discussion would bring clarity on the issue before the public and establish the facts.
Responding to the Opposition’s demand for a statement, Shah said such a serious issue could not be addressed simply through a statement. He said parliamentary discussions were governed by established rules and procedures, with detailed deliberation forming an important part of parliamentary practice. Any statement, he added, would be made in accordance with parliamentary traditions.
Shah said he had been attending Parliament regularly since the beginning of the session but alleged that the Opposition was preventing proceedings from taking place in both Houses. He reiterated that Rijiju had already made it clear on behalf of the Government that it was ready for any form of discussion and that only the timing needed to be finalised.
The Home Minister said the Opposition had previously been demanding such a discussion and that the Government had now agreed to it. He concluded that it was up to the Opposition to decide whether it wanted a discussion or a ruckus, adding that the public would judge who was willing to engage in debate and who was avoiding it.
