INDIA Bloc Leaders Meet Rahul Gandhi, Signal Unity Amid Police Deployment

New Delhi: Several INDIA bloc MPs on Thursday arrived at Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi's residence, at Sunehri Bagh Road amid a deadlock over the NEET-UG paper leak in Parliament.

Police presence was heightened outside Rahul Gandhi's residence. Rapid Action Force buses have also been deployed.

Sunehri Bagh Road leads to the residences of Amit Shah at Krishna Bagh Road, and Kiran Rijiju's residence is also close by.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Congress MPs P Chidambaram, KC Venugopal, Jairam Ramesh, Renuka Chowdhury, Pramod Tiwari, along with NCP(SCP) MP Supriya Sule and RJD MP Misa Bharati arrived at Gandhi's residence.

Suspended TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee and party leader Mahua Moitra, CPI MP P Sandosh Kumar and Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant also arrived to attend the opposition leaders' meeting.

Downplaying the significance of the meeting, Kharge told reporters, "(Rahul Gandhi) invited us for tea. That's why I have come to have tea.

"KC Venugopal lashed out at the Centre amid heavy police presence in the national capital following the Cockroach Janata Party protest, demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Venugopal said, "Emergency declared all over Delhi. They are making it like a war-like situation.

"Congress MP Jothimani Sennimalai said, "He is the Leader of the Opposition. We are all MPs from his party. We just came to meet him. But the government has fortified the entire area. I can understand their panic. We are meeting the Leader of the Opposition. But we can see the government's fear.

"Congress MP and party's Punjab chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring stated, "If we reveal our plan, the enemy is very alert. Delhi Police, Amit Shah ji's people, have come here already. We will fight, and we will win.

"Randeep Singh Surjewala called for Pradhan's resignation and said, "Resignation must happen.

"RJD MP Manoj Jha expressed concern over the situation amid widespread protests across the country over the NEET-UG paper leak.

Jha said, "Look at what is happening at Jantar Mantar and in different states. There is so much unrest among the youth. In the coming moments, you will know what we are doing. I am worried after seeing the condition of the country.

"Renuka Chowdhury looked at the meeting as a sign of unity among INDIA bloc parties. She said, "The entire INDIA Bloc, we are fighting this issue together.

"The meeting comes amid a deadlock in Parliament over the NEET-UG paper leak row, where the Opposition has presented Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation and Rule 267 of the Rajya Sabha as conditions for a discussion. The Centre has maintained that it is ready to discuss the NEET row and the related matters, asking the Opposition not to put any condition.

Rule 267 allows an MP to seek suspension of business in the Upper House of Parliament.

A direct face-off broke out between NDA and INDIA bloc MPs inside the Parliament premises on Thursday, as both sides staged simultaneous demonstrations over separate issues at Makar Dwar.

On July 21, Opposition leaders held a sit-in protest at Lok Kalyan Marg, near the residence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.