New Delhi: The Congress party and its allies in the INDIA bloc Thursday staged a protest at Makar Dwar of the Parliament, demanding answers from the NDA government over the alleged use of lethal force against student protesters during the July 20 ‘Sansad Chalo’ march against NEET paper leaks.
Holding banners carrying the message ‘Who gave the orders?’, INDIA bloc MPs gathered at the Parliament premises and sought accountability over the police action against students who had participated in the demonstration against NEET-related irregularities and paper leaks.
The protest came a day after Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, raised serious questions over the alleged use of force against the students and sought answers from Union Home Minister Amit Shah on who had ordered the reported “firing” during the NEET protests.
The BJP and its allies strongly objected to LoP Gandhi’s remarks, particularly his allegation that the Union Home Minister had directed action against the protesting students, and questioned the basis of his claims.
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Speaking to IANS, BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal, reacting to the allegations, said, “Whatever Rahul Gandhi says, people no longer take his statements seriously because he only knows how to make allegations. If there is any truth in even one of his allegations, then he should prove it.”
Speaking to IANS, Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC also criticised the Congress leader and accused him of focussing on political confrontation rather than constructive discussion in Parliament.
“Rahul Gandhi is not the Leader of the Opposition; he is the ‘Leader of Propaganda.’ He is only interested in creating disruption, and everyone has seen what I consider his double standards. If you genuinely want constructive discussions, then raise meaningful questions. Debate the Anti-Paper Leak Bill and highlight the issues faced by students. However, your only focus is targeting the Prime Minister and the Home Minister,” she claimed.
The Congress and its INDIA bloc allies, however, defended LoP Gandhi’s questions and maintained that the Union Home Ministry must respond to allegations concerning the police action against the students.
Congress MP Pramod Tiwari, talking to IANS, said, “He (Amit Shah) is the Union Home Minister of the Government of India and is accountable to the House under Article 75 of the Constitution. Additionally, it’s a tradition that when the LoP is present in the House, the Prime Minister should also attend. Even if the PM is not attending, the Home Minister should.”
Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Ram Gopal Yadav also questioned what he described as differing standards in how incidents involving the use of force are viewed.
“Of course, he (the Home Minister) should answer. When firing took place in Ayodhya, it was attributed to Mulayam Singh, and when it happened here, it was carried out by the administration. Look at the double standards,” Yadav said.
SP MP Awadhesh Prasad defended LoP Gandhi’s right to raise the issue in Parliament and criticised the manner in which his remarks were handled.
“Indeed, he was not allowed to speak. It is possible that there were objections to the manner in which he was speaking, but that is not appropriate… No one has the right to deny him that right. He should have been allowed to present his full views. Preventing him from doing so is against the dignity and spirit of democracy,” Prasad told IANS.
Revolutionary Socialist Party MP N. K. Premachandran also backed LoP Gandhi’s allegations and said that the Union Home Ministry should respond to the questions raised over the police action against the protesting students.
“What Rahul Gandhi said yesterday is very clear: That the firing in the national Capital against students and the brutal, inhuman lathi-charge were carried out under the directions of the Union Home Ministry. Who has to respond to this? The Union Home Ministry should,” Premachandran said.
