Govt offers debate, Oppn insists on Pradhan's exit
New Delhi: Parliament proceedings remained stalled for the third consecutive day on Wednesday over the Neet paper leak issue and police crackdown on protesters at Jantar Mantar. Opposition MPs led by Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra staged a "Black Day" protest inside the Parliament premises demanding the immediate removal of education minister Dharmendra Pradhan and a discussion on Neet irregularities. Under pressure, the government said it is willing to hold a detailed discussion in Parliament on the Neet issue.
Mr Gandhi, along with several other Opposition MPs, dressed in black, staged a protest outside Parliament on Wednesday against the alleged police brutality on protesting students. The Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition expressed full support for the protesting students. Accusing the Modi government of destroying India's education system, Mr Gandhi, addressing a press conference later in the day, said protestors' demands, including Mr Pradhan's resignation, are fully legitimate and non-negotiable.
Dressed in black in solidarity with protesting students, Ms Vadra said, "Democracy is finished. What is happening in Parliament is undemocratic because debate on students' issues is not being allowed."
Referring to the Congress' protest outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 7, Lok Kalyan Marg residence on Tuesday, Ms Vadra said freedom of expression and the right to peaceful protest are bare essentials for democracy. "There is nothing undemocratic about that. What is undemocratic is what is happening in Parliament and on the streets… In Parliament, debate is not being allowed. The Leader of the Opposition is not allowed to speak, and neither are the other Opposition leaders. Whenever they rise to speak, they are stopped," she told reporters in the Parliament House complex.
"The Speaker says he has to ask the government whether a debate can take place. What is this? Democracy is finished," Ms Vadra said.
In Parliament, the Neet paper leak issue and police crackdown on protesters at Jantar Mantar and neighbouring areas rocked both Houses. The government said it is ready for an elaborate discussion on the issue and accused the Opposition of not allowing a debate by disrupting proceedings. "No business has been conducted in the two Houses since the beginning of the Monsoon Session on Monday," it said.
In the Lok Sabha, Mr Rijiju reiterated the government’s willingness to hold a discussion on the Neet paper leak but left it to Speaker Om Birla to arrive at a consensus on the rule under which it will be held, its date and duration.
The Speaker said he has heard the views of all parties, as the government is willing to hold a discussion with an open mind. Mr Rijiju requested the Speaker to convene an all-party meeting of floor leaders to finalise the rules under which it will be held, its date and duration.
Maintaining that time will not be a constraint, Mr Birla said members will be allowed to speak as much as they want after they give a notice according to procedures. As Mr Birla asked Mr Rijiju to make a statement, Congress leader K.C. Venugopal intervened to assert that the Opposition is also seeking the resignation of the education minister.
“Our demand is simple. When the entire nation is feeling the pain of our students, all other business of the House should be set aside and this burning issue should be the top priority for Parliament,” Mr Venugopal said.
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav expressed anguish that while the BJP and the Congress members spoke, he was not allowed to participate. He said: "If the interests of youth and students are hurt, the opposition is bound to protest on the streets also."
Later, talking to reporters, Mr Rijiju said the government is ready for a "detailed discussion", as the people should know the steps taken by the government. He accused the Opposition of hitting the streets and not holding a debate in Parliament and said sensitive issues pertaining to the youth need discussion in Parliament. “Street protests will not yield results,” he underlined.
Most Congress and SP members wore black clothes in the House to protest the Neet paper leak and police crackdown on protesters at Jantar Mantar and other areas on Monday.
Separately, Mr Pradhan met the Lok Sabha speaker in the Parliament House soon after the government told the Lok Sabha that it is willing to hold a detailed discussion on the Neet paper leak issue.
The Rajya Sabha also witnessed repeated adjournments after the government accused the Opposition led by the Congress of bringing in new conditions to not allow a discussion on the Neet paper leak issue. "I want to tell the Congress party through you (the Chair) that you (the Congress) are giving the wrong message outside that you want a discussion. When the government is itself saying that it wants a discussion, they (the Congress) are imposing conditions to not allow a discussion to take place by again and again coming up with excuses," Mr Rijiju said in the Upper House.
The parliamentary affairs minister said the government is ready to discuss all issues, but the chairman will decide under which rule a debate can happen.
Both DMK's Tiruchi Siva and Rajya Sabha Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge appealed to deputy chairman Harivansh, who was in the Chair, to allow a discussion on the Neet paper leak issue to take place under Rule 267, citing the current situation as "rarest of rare". Amid the uproar, Hairvansh adjourned the House for the day.
Even after the government agreed to discuss the issue in Parliament, the Opposition wanted the discussion to be held under Rule 267 and also laid down the condition of Mr Pradhan's resignation before such a debate is taken up. Citing past rulings, Mr Harivansh said in the last four decades Rule 267 has been invoked in the House on the "rarest of the rare occasions".
Rule 267 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Rajya Sabha enables a member, with the chairman's consent, to seek the suspension of a listed business of the House to take up a matter of urgent public importance.
Earlier, Leader of the House J.P. Nadda slammed the Opposition parties, saying, "The INDIA bloc has indulged in irresponsible behavior. They are destroying the dignity of Parliament."
Separately, the Lok Sabha passed a resolution suspending TMC's Kalyan Banerjee for the remainder of the Monsoon Session for using "unsavoury" language against women members after he had a heated exchange with Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) members in the Lower House chamber.
The NCPI members involved in the exchange included Mitali Bagh, Shatabdi Roy and Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar. It was not clear what led to the heated exchange.
Later, the Opposition MPs met Mr Birla seeking the withdrawal of Mr Banerjee's suspension, contending that the alleged altercation for which action was taken had occurred after the House was adjourned and therefore could not be the basis for disciplinary action under the House rules. The Monsoon session ends on August 13.
