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Govt ready for Parliament discussion on paper leaks; Opposition insists on Pradhan's exit: 'Can't be a fair...'
“There will be no discussion on the issue till the education minister resigns…It cannot be a fair discussion till he resigns,” Congress chief Kharge said.
The third day of the monsoon session of Parliament was washed out on Wednesday as the government underlined its willingness to hold a discussion on paper leaks and the Opposition pushed for the resignation of education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
People aware of the matter said the Union government accused the Opposition of politicising the ongoing student’s stir and said it was shifting “goalposts”, asserting that its doors for dialogue with those leading the protests were “always open”.
In Parliament, the government said it was open to having discussion on paper leaks, even as the Opposition intensified its demand for Pradhan’s resignation, and even set conditions for allowing the discussion.
“There will be no discussion on the issue till the education minister resigns…It cannot be a fair discussion till he resigns,” Congress chief and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said.
The Congress leader was also emphatic that the discussion should take place under Rule 267, which allows for issues of urgency to override listed business of the House.
The Union government criticised the Congress for putting conditions, and deputy chairman Harivansh explained that the Chair’s ruling had already specified that discussions under the said rule could not be allowed.
The opposition MPs held protests wearing black clothes against the government on Parliament premises.
Leader of the House, JP Nadda, accused the Opposition of not adhering to democratic principles. “The behavior of the INDI alliance is extremely irresponsible. Their anti-democratic activities are clearly visible in Parliament. By ripping apart the dignity of Parliament, they are undermining democratic values. Our government is ready to discuss not only every issue but also the paper leak in NEET and all the activities arising from it,” Nadda said.
Parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju said the Opposition makes a demand and then does not listen. “...If you make a demand but refuse to listen, it implies that you do not want a discussion. Through you, I wish to present the government’s stance in this House. Right from the very first day of this monsoon session, the government has maintained that we are ready to discuss all important issues, including the NEET exam paper leak, and we remain ready to do so even now,” he said.
Defence minister Rajanth Singh said the protests were a matter of serious concern, but it was extremely unfortunate that some people were attempting to use the students as a tool to fulfil their political interests.
“We are committed to ensuring that no injustice is done to any individual, especially our students and youth. The manufactured sense of anger by some opposition leaders is merely a failed attempt to confuse and mislead the public, especially our children and youth,” he said.
Singh said in a democracy, Parliament is the place for discussion on issues, where the Opposition was free to express its views.
In the Lok Sabha, Rijiju said that the government was ready for a discussion. “We have been saying since the first day that we are ready for a meaningful discussion on the issue,” he said.
Congress leader KC Venugopal intervened to assert that the Opposition was also seeking the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan. “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,” Venugopal said.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged that Birla was not giving his party a chance to speak on the matter. Raising objections to not being allowed to put forth their demand, Yadav said, “Are you hand in glove with them? This issue is not about the BJP, Congress or SP. We are all fighting together.”
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A senior BJP lawmaker said the Opposition was “constantly shifting the goal posts” even as the government was making efforts to meet their demands.
“On Tuesday when Rahul Gandhi was asked to vacate the protest site outside the PM’s residence, he first put forth a set of conditions and then back tracked. Again, they asked for a discussion on the issue of paper leaks, and when the government agreed, they are linking the discussion to the minister’s resignation and making excuses about the rules for discussion…This is typical shifting of goalposts,” the lawmaker said, adding that the Opposition was trying to create a trust deficit between the government and the protestors.
