New Delhi, July 24: Amid a tussle between the Centre and the Opposition over the anti-paper leak students’ agitation, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi on Friday claimed that his microphone was “switched off” in the House while asserting that no kind of discussion will be held till Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigns and Prime Minister Narendra Modi “apologises to students”.
Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, had previously accused the Opposition of “running away” from a discussion on exam paper leak and other educational issues during the ongoing Monsoon Session of the Parliament. Moreover, Rijiju had urged all parties, specifically the Opposition, to meet Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla in order to decide on a date, time and rule for conducting a discussion on NEET paper leak in the Parliament, “without wasting time”.
Notably, the Opposition itself had sought a discussion on the students’ issue in the House, but had urged the Union government to accept the adjournment motion to facilitate the debate. Speaking to reporters outside the Parliament House, Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi said: “Just now, Rijiju made a statement saying that he wants us to ask our MPs to allow a discussion. Under normal protocol, if someone takes your name, you are given an opportunity to respond.
He said we should have a discussion, but when I tried to respond, my microphone was switched off and I was not given an opportunity.” “I want to clearly state that the Opposition’s stand is based on three demands from the students: First, the corrupt Education Minister has to go. Second, action and accountability must be fixed against those who attacked and beat the students. Third, the Prime Minister should apologise to the students. These are the three conditions,” he said.
LoP Gandhi further emphasised: “We are not going to have any conversation or discussion before Mr. Pradhan is sacked. That’s it.” Congress MP Tariq Anwar backed Gandhi’s claim of not being allowed to speak in the House. “The way the Chairman behaved today is both surprising and unfortunate. The Leader of the Opposition was not allowed to speak, which is undemocratic. I don’t know why the government doesn’t want the Opposition to speak,” he told IANS.
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav maintained that there is “no deadlock” of the Opposition with the government. Speaking to IANS, she said: “There is no question of a deadlock. We want the Education Minister to resign and a discussion to take place so that things can move forward. But the government does not want it. It does not want to listen due to its arrogance.” She added that Dharmendra Pradhan should resign on “moral grounds”.
Congress MP Kumari Selja said: “Ethics is also something which the government is not able to understand.” “Our demands are based on the way the students were treated which was extremely brutal. The same thing happened to our people and us as well. We are saying that the FIRs should also be withdrawn, and the Education Minister should resign,” she told IANS.
IANS
