The Monsoon session of Parliament was kept paralyzed for the fourth day in a row as the continued fight over the alleged NEET paper leak controversy forced repeated adjournments in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
The opposition continued to insist that the Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resign before it can talk to the government about the issue, but the government said it was ready to have the debate without any kind of preconditions.
The deadlock was evident even before the day’s proceedings began, with Opposition and ruling party lawmakers holding separate protests outside Parliament and raising slogans against each other. The demonstrations struck a chord that would make for another day of disruption inside both Houses.
Opposition politicians raised slogans and put up placards demanding Pradhan’s resignation in Lok Sabha. The disruption caused many adjournments and the discussion could not go on.
In Question Hour, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla appealed to members of the House to allow members to work as usual in the House. Question Hour is a fundamental part of parliament and they should take part in discussion on NEET after the parliamentary session has ended, he said.
Birla also suggested that the government would discuss the matter. He said he would speak to the government about the concerns expressed by members.
After that, senior Opposition leaders, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi chief Akhilesh Yadav, met the Speaker to discuss the issue of a debate on the NEET paper leak. Trinamool Congress leaders Saugata Roy and Mahua Moitra were also present.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju accused the Opposition of putting conditions on a discussion and claimed that it was preventing a debate despite the government’s willingness to have a debate.
Rijiju said the government was ready to present its position on the issue, and Opposition MPs could speak as long as they wanted. He also said the debate could take place for two days if required, but the date and duration would be decided through talks between the parties.
In the Rajya Sabha, the proceedings were also disrupted repeatedly before the House was finally adjourned until Friday.
The Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge repeated the Opposition's demand for Pradhan to resign before a debate could begin. Kharge said the Opposition would not agree to a debate until the Education Minister resigned.
Kharge also expressed concern over students who were allegedly injured during police action during recent protests. Several students had been hospitalised and their families were deeply worried, he said.
JP Nadda, leader of the House, however, accused the Opposition of deliberately obstructing parliamentary proceedings. He said that the government had already agreed to discuss the NEET paper leak and other issues but the Opposition refused to allow the House to function.
Rijiju once more encouraged Opposition parties to participate in the debate without imposing conditions. Deputy Chairman Harivansh also asked members to continue the business of the parliament and stressed the need for legislative business.
While presiding officers and government leaders appealed to the Opposition, Opposition protests continued. The Rajya Sabha was finally adjourned until Friday, extending the parliamentary deadlock into a fourth day.
The impasse has caused a loss of valuable parliamentary time and political parties are in disarray on whether the NEET issue should be addressed before or after the Education Minister resigns. And with the Opposition demanding accountability and the government promising an unconditional debate, the standoff is likely to be a major issue through the Monsoon Session.
