Govt Tells Rahul Ready for NEET Debate, Accuses Him of Backtracking

New Delhi: The government on Tuesday said it is ready to discuss all issues relating to the NEET exam and the movement associated with it in Parliament, after Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi sat on a dharna outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence.

In a strongly worded statement, Minister of State in PMO Jitendra Singh, who along with Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan met Gandhi and urged him to end his sit-in, alleged that the LoP "backtracked" from his earlier demand for a debate and said it does not befit a leader of his stature.

Singh said Rahul Gandhi did not agree to his request and instead demanded that Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan must also resign.

The minister also said that the Congress "has not given any notice to date for a formal discussion on this serious matter (NEET issue) as per rules".

"For a senior leader like Shri Rahul Gandhi and the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) to go back on his word is unfortunate and contrary to every norm of democracy," the minister said.

"The government is ready to discuss in Parliament all issues related to NEET and the associated movement... Shri Rahul Gandhi's behaviour does not align with the principles of democracy," Singh said.

The MoS PMO and the Union Home Secretary met Gandhi soon after he, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and several other senior leaders sat on a dharna outside Prime Minister Modi's residence and demanded his resignation over the police action against students protesting on the NEET paper leak issue.

Soon after Singh's statement, police on Tuesday evening forcibly removed and detained Gandhi and other leaders.

In the statement and video message, the minister said some time ago it came to light that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and other senior leaders such as Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and others, suddenly sat on protest near Akbar Road with their supporters.

"In view of the dignity of this senior delegation, the government sent me personally, along with the Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, to the spot to hold talks with these senior leaders.

"A request was made to Shri Rahul Gandhi to end his sit-in, as this site is not meant for protests, and holding a sit-in here is causing considerable inconvenience to the general public," he said.

The MoS PMO said Gandhi put forward the demand that if the government agrees to discuss in Parliament all issues related to NEET and the associated movement, he would immediately end his sit-in.

Within a few moments, after taking permission from the government's top leadership, Rahul was assured that his demand has been accepted, and the government is ready to discuss in Parliament all issues related to NEET and the associated movement.

"When this information was conveyed to Shri Rahul Gandhi, he said that he would not agree to this alone but also sought assurance for the resignation of the Union Education Minister (Dharmendra Pradhan)," he said.

Singh said Gandhi then said that he now has two demands: discussion in Parliament and the resignation of the Union Education Minister.

When the Congress leader was reminded that earlier he had only demanded discussion, he said that now my demands have changed.

"When an attempt was made to humbly explain to him that for a senior leader like him to backtrack from his word so quickly does not befit him, he said that it is his prerogative.

"When the Home Secretary tried to explain that this site is not suitable for a sit-in, his response was that it is also his prerogative to sit wherever he wants," the MoS said.

Singh said for a senior leader like Rahul Gandhi and the Leader of the Opposition to go back on his word is "unfortunate and contrary to every norm of democracy".

"The government is ready to discuss in Parliament all issues related to NEET and the associated movement. In contrast, the Congress Party has not given any notice to date for a formal discussion on this serious matter as per rules. Shri Rahul Gandhi's behaviour does not align with the principles of democracy," he said.