Rahul Gandhi, Oppn MPs meet LS Speaker Birla; seek discussion on violent NEET protest
New Delhi: Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday met Speaker Om Birla, along with other Opposition MPs, and demanded a detailed discussion in the Parliament on the NEET-UG paper leak issue and the violent Jantar Mantar protest.
“Met the Hon’ble Lok Sabha Speaker today along with MPs of the Opposition. Our demand is simple: Parliament must have a detailed discussion on the brutality unleashed on students yesterday and on the government’s complete lack of accountability for the examination crisis,” Gandhi posted on X.
Referring to the violent clashes that erupted on Monday between the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) supporters and the security officials during the ‘Sansad Chalo’ march, the LoP said, “Students were beaten for asking legitimate questions about their own future. If Parliament cannot discuss the future of India’s youth, what is it for?”
“The Opposition will not let this be buried. We will ensure that the students’ voice will be heard on the streets, and in Parliament,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha, however, saw its second adjournment of the day on Tuesday as persistent sloganeering and protests by Opposition members continued to disrupt proceedings during the Monsoon Session of Parliament.
Presiding over the House, Sandhya Ray announced the adjournment after repeated appeals to Opposition members to maintain order went unheeded.
Despite several requests from the Chair, members of the Opposition continued raising slogans, forcing the House to be adjourned once again.
This marked the second adjournment of the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. Earlier in the day, Speaker Om Birla had adjourned the House till noon after repeated disruptions prevented normal proceedings from continuing.
Appealing to members to allow the House to function, Birla said, “Do you not want the House to run?… Everyone will get a chance to raise their issues.”
However, the Opposition benches continued their protests and sloganeering, resulting in another disruption of proceedings and eventually leading to the second adjournment.
Before the day’s parliamentary business commenced, leaders of the INDIA bloc held a meeting to chalk out their strategy for the day’s proceedings.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule and several other Opposition leaders attended the meeting.
The disruptions follow similar scenes witnessed on the opening day of the Monsoon Session on Monday, when repeated adjournments affected proceedings in both Houses of Parliament.
Opposition parties had staged protests demanding discussions on a range of issues, including the examination paper leaks and the Cockroach Janta Party-led protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, leading to repeated interruptions in parliamentary business.