New Delhi: The opposition caused repeated disruptions in Parliament Friday over the NEET paper leak issue, with both Houses being adjourned for the day without transacting much business apart from the Rajya Sabha taking up the Motion of Thanks for the President’s address amid protests including by the BJD, which almost always supported the BJP in the previous Lok Sabha.
At one point, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge too entered the Well of the House to join the opposition protest.
The Lok Sabha was first adjourned minutes after it assembled at 11 am, and then when it reassembled around 12 noon, it was adjourned till Monday amid the opposition’s demand for a discussion on the issue.
Rajya Sabha also witnessed a series of disruptions before being adjourned for the day around 6 pm. But even during the time the House functioned, much of the time was taken up by the Opposition parties registering their protest by rasing slogans and entering into the Well of the House.
Kharge also said that the opposition wanted to raise the NEET issue as it affects lakhs of students, and did not want to disrupt the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh took to X and said that Kharge was not the first Leader of Opposition to step in the Well of the House.
“It is being propagated that Mallikarjun Kharge ji is the first Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha to enter the well of the House in protest. Memories are short, especially when old rivals become new partners,” Ramesh said.
“On Aug 5 2019, the then Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad sat on the steps leading to the Chairman’s presiding seat – which is very much part of the Well. This was when the Bills to abolish Article 370 and downgrade the status of J&K from a full-fledged state to a UT were being introduced,” he said.
Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar expressed anguish over Kharge trooping into the Well, saying it is for the first time that a person occupying the post has engaged in such a conduct.
The opposition was relentless in their protest in Lok Sabha also which led to its first adjournment of the day minutes after the members assembled.
When the House reassembled at 12 noon, opposition members continued with their demand for a discussion on matters related to the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET).
Speaker Om Birla and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju told opposition members that they can discuss the matter during the course of the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address.
Birla said there are certain norms of Parliament that have to be followed and committees have to be formed, to which Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said students are not aware of it. They are only demanding justice.
As members from the Congress, TMC and DMK stormed into the Well, Rijiju said it is for the first time that the opposition is seen demanding a discussion on an issue before the House takes up the Motion of Thanks.
“There is a difference between protest on the road and protest inside the House… You (Opposition) don’t want House to run? You don’t want to discuss NEET during Motion of Thanks discussion?” Birla said.
As the House continued to see uproar, Birla adjourned the proceedings till Monday.
Amid din, TMC member S K Nurul Islam took oath as a Lok Sabha member from his seat as he was visibly unwell.
Earlier when the House met in morning, opposition members were up on their feet seeking the acceptance of an adjournment motion to suspend all business and discuss matters related to NEET.
However, Birla said he would first take up the obituary references to 13 former members, including ex-Lok Sabha speaker and ex-Maharashtra chief minister Manohar Joshi.
When the obituary references were over, the opposition members were on their feet again.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said the NEET issue is a very important for the whole country and they want a dedicated discussion in the House on the matter. Hence, the adjournment motion should be accepted, he said.
However, Birla said he could not allow it as the House was about to take up the discussion on the Motion of Thanks for the President’s address to the joint sitting of Parliament on Thursday.
Back in the Rajya Sabha, BJD members joined other opposition parties in their protests.
In the previous Lok Sabha, the BJD was seen siding with the BJP. But after losing to the BJP in the just-held assembly elections in Odisha and failing to open its account in the Lok Sabha, the BJD has joined hands with other opposition parties in targeting the BJP.
Soon after laying of the listed papers on the table of the House during the morning session, Dhankhar informed that he has not accepted 22 notices by the opposition leaders to suspend the scheduled business of the day and take up discussion on the alleged irregularities in the NEET.
This led to protest by opposition MPs. They started raising slogans and several of them entered into the Well.
When Kharge joined his colleagues in the Well, Dhankhar said, “I am pained and surprised that Indian parliamentary tradition will stoop to such low that the leader of the opposition will troop into the Well,” he said, before adjourning the proceedings till 2 pm.
The House later took up the discussions on the Motion of the Thanks before adjourning for the day around 6 pm.
Earlier, when the Rajya Sabha reassembled at 2:30 pm, DMK member Tiruchi Siva informed the House that Congress MP Phulo Devi Netam, who had fainted earlier, had high blood pressure.
In response, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said, “I have taken all steps, suspended the working of the House. All arrangements were made and that was the most that could be done. Everything is being taken care of.”
However, the opposition was apparently not satisfied and started sloganeering. Soon after, they staged a walkout and were also joined by members of the Biju Janta Dal (BJD).
(with inputs from PTI)
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