Opposition to move adjournment motions on NEET row today

At a meeting of the INDIA bloc members at Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence on Thursday, opposition leaders decided that the “NEET issue is of paramount importance and must be taken up separately,” a senior leader who attended the meeting said, seeking anonymity.

The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) will try to push adjournment motions on Friday to set aside the prescheduled debate on the President’s speech in both Houses of Parliament and raise the issue of alleged irregularities in this year’s National Eligibility Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG), in a first major test of strength in the 18th Lok Sabha, people aware of the details said.

Opposition to move adjournment motions on NEET row today

At a meeting of the INDIA bloc members at Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence on Thursday, opposition leaders decided that the “NEET issue is of paramount importance and must be taken up separately,” a senior leader who attended the meeting said, seeking anonymity.

The INDIA bloc will move adjournment motions – to seek the adjournment of the House for the purpose of discussing a definite matter of urgent public importance – to discuss the NEET controversy on priority, before the debate on the President’s speech that was delivered on Thursday, the leader cited above added.

The meeting at Kharge’s house was attended by more than 35 members from opposition parties, the leader said.

A shadow of hostility has hung over the House since the Opposition started taking potshots at the government over allegedly skewed results in the undergraduate level National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test, paper leaks that led to the cancellation of UGC-NET, and the postponement of other exams such as CSIR-NET and NEET-PG. In all, a total of 3.7 million students are affected by the postponements and cancellations.

On Saturday, the Centre removed Subodh Kumar Singh of the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts the crucial exams, and appointed IAS officer Pradeep Singh Kharola for the post. The matter pertaining to NEET is being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which, on Thursday, made its first arrest and took two people from Patna into custody.

The Opposition’s insistence on a discussion on NEET in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha is likely to lead to repeated adjournments if the Chair doesn’t admit the adjournment motions. To be sure, getting an adjournment motion passed would be an uphill task since the Opposition does not have the majority in either House.

“Moreover, the Speaker’s decision is final. And in the last Lok Sabha, not a single adjournment motion sponsored by the Opposition was approved,” a Lok Sabha functionary said, declining to be named.

Opposition leaders, however, maintained it won’t extend their demand for adjournment beyond Friday. “We have to discuss the President’s speech from Monday, as our lawmakers, particularly the young ones, want to debate important issues,” a second leader said, seeking anonymity.

The Opposition, the second leader added, will also raise issues such as unemployment, inflation, misuse of central agencies, lack of funds to Opposition-ruled states and the “attack” on the federal structure, in the House. “But parties are free to raise their own issues,” the leader said.

On Monday, Opposition leaders will assemble at the Mahatma Gandhi statue to protest against CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). “Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has been arrested. Former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren was also held.Three ministers in the West Bengal government have also been arrested,” a senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader said.