New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday challenged the Opposition to submit a formal request to the Lok Sabha Speaker for a debate on the protests by students over the NEET issue, saying he would remain present throughout the discussion and respond to all questions.
Speaking to reporters at the Parliament House complex, Shah said the government was ready for a discussion from Wednesday afternoon until Thursday afternoon and had nothing to hide. He left it to the Opposition to decide whether it wanted to participate in the debate or continue disrupting Parliament.
The remarks came a day before the Monsoon Session was scheduled to conclude, following weeks of disruptions in both Houses. The Opposition's protests initially centred on the NEET paper leak and alleged irregularities in donations to the Ram temple in Ayodhya. It later demanded a discussion on alleged police action against students protesting the NEET issue, along with the presence and statements of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah.
Rejecting allegations that he was avoiding a debate, Shah said he had been regularly attending Parliament since the session began on July 20 but claimed that Opposition protests had prevented the Houses from functioning.
He reiterated the government's willingness to discuss all aspects of the student protests and police action linked to the NEET issue. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju had earlier said that the government was prepared for a full-fledged discussion, provided the Opposition allowed the proceedings to continue without disruption.
Shah said he was ready to answer questions in Parliament and questioned why the Opposition was unwilling to participate in the proposed debate. He also said the NDA government, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was prepared to discuss every issue.
Soon after Shah's remarks, Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said the Opposition was not interested in listening to what he described as a "lecture". Gandhi demanded clarity on who ordered the alleged use of pellet guns against students during the protests.
Gandhi said that if Shah had ordered the firing, he should be held responsible, while if he had not, he should be held accountable for failing to prevent it. He argued that either situation warranted Shah's resignation.
This report is based on inputs from PTI, with additional reporting and background by the EdexLive Desk.
