3 weeks ago
Amit Shah Offers NEET Protest Debate; Rahul Gandhi Demands Answers
Parliament is a big meeting where leaders talk about the country's problems.
Many students in India are upset about NEET, the big exam students take to become doctors, because the exam paper was leaked and they say police were too rough with them during a protest on July 20.
Amit Shah, India's Home Minister, wrote a letter to Om Birla, who leads the Lok Sabha, asking for time to talk about the protests in Parliament.
He said the government is ready to answer every question and has nothing to hide.
Rahul Gandhi, an Opposition leader, said students do not want a lecture; they want to know who ordered police to shoot at them.
He said one student was blinded and another was shot in the ear.
Gandhi said if Shah gave that order, he should quit his job, and if he did not, he should also quit because he did not know what was happening.
Shah said he has been coming to Parliament all along, but the Opposition is stopping him from speaking.
The two sides could not agree, so the argument continued as the Parliament session was about to end on August 13.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla offering a Parliament debate on the NEET student protests, saying the government is ready to answer all questions and has 'nothing to hide.'
Shah asked the Opposition to submit a notice by 2 pm (one report quoted him saying 3 pm) for a discussion from 3 pm Wednesday to 3 pm Thursday, with his reply at 3 pm Thursday.
Rahul Gandhi rejected the offer as a 'lecture,' demanding to know who ordered police to shoot protesting students, who blinded one student, and who shot another in the ear.
Gandhi said Shah should resign either way — culpable if he ordered the police action, incompetent if he did not — and accused him of 'disappearing for 20 days.'
The Monsoon Session (July 21–August 13) neared its end amid the deadlock; the FCRA Amendment Bill went to a Joint Parliamentary Committee, and the Rajya Sabha passed the bill renaming Kerala as Keralam.
- Who
- Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, and protesting NEET students.
- What
- A standoff over whether Parliament will hold a debate on the NEET student protests and alleged police violence, after Shah offered a discussion and Gandhi rejected it as a 'lecture.'
- Where
- India's Parliament (Lok Sabha) in New Delhi; students had protested at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on July 20.
- When
- August 12 (Wednesday), in the final days of the Monsoon Session, which runs from July 21 to August 13.
- Why
- The Opposition wants direct answers and accountability over who ordered police action against protesting students, while the government says it is ready to discuss and has nothing to hide; the protests stem from the NEET paper leak and the Ayodhya Ram Mandir donation row.
Opposition
Government
Debate format
Opposition
Rahul Gandhi says the Opposition and the INDIA bloc are not interested in a 'lecture' or a formal discussion from Amit Shah; they want direct answers to specific questions about who ordered police action against protesting students.
Government
Shah says a matter this serious must be debated under Parliament's rules and procedures, noting the Opposition's initial demand for a discussion was agreed to by the government; he offered a two-day discussion and said he is ready to answer every question, with the NDA government under Modi ji's leadership ready to discuss anything.
Responsibility for police action
Opposition
Gandhi asked who ordered students to be shot with pellet guns, who blinded one student and shot another in the ear, and who ordered beatings with nail-studded lathis, noting the Delhi Police and Rapid Action Force (RAF) are Home Ministry systems; if Shah gave the order he is culpable, and if he did not he is incompetent — either way, he should resign.
Government
The government did not directly address the allegation; Shah asserted the government has nothing to hide and is prepared to answer all questions in the House, and that the Opposition simply does not want the discussion to take place.
Who is avoiding Parliament
Opposition
Gandhi accused Shah of 'disappearing for 20 days,' saying 30 cars move around the home minister and a thousand policemen guard his residence so no student can approach him, and that 'Amit Shah has no courage'; he also rejected the BJP's allegation that he stayed silent on violence against students in Jharkhand.
Government
Shah called terms like 'laapata' and 'bhaag gaye' new additions to public and parliamentary discourse, said he has attended Parliament regularly since the session began and sits in his chamber, and blamed the Opposition for not allowing either House to function — saying the people should decide 'who is running away.'
Key facts
- Letter date
- August 12
- Addressed to
- Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla
- Proposed debate window
- 3 pm Wednesday to 3 pm Thursday
- Opposition notice deadline
- 2 pm (one report quoted Shah saying 3 pm)
- Monsoon Session
- July 21 – August 13
- Student protest
- July 20 at Jantar Mantar, Delhi
- FCRA Amendment Bill
- Referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC)
- Probe report tabled
- Report on cash found at the Delhi residence of Justice Yashwant Varma of the Allahabad High Court
Quotes
Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi
Leader of the Indian National Congress
“Did Mr. Amit Shah give the order to shoot our children or did he not, if he did, he should resign because he is culpable, and if he did not, he should resign because he is incompetent.”
indianexpress.com
livemint.com
“I request you to consult with the Opposition and, based on mutual agreement, allocate as much time, whether in terms of days or hours, as you deem appropriate starting today.”
freepressjournal.in
Sources
Amit Shah offers to answer questions in House, Opposition says ‘no lectures’
Amit Shah writes to LS Speaker asserting readiness to discuss NEET protest while Oppn targets govt
'I Am Prepared To Answer All Questions': Amit Shah Writes To Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Urges Discussion On NEET Protests
Shah writes to Birla, offers Parl debate on NEET protests, Rahul says not interested in Home Minister's ‘lecture’
Related news
Shah Offers NEET Debate, Opposition Demands Answers on Protests
Govt Ready for Parliament Discussion on NEET Protest, Shah Says
Shah offers Parliament debate as Opposition demands firing answer
Shah Offers Debate on Student Crackdown, Gandhi Demands Resignation
Amit Shah ready for detailed response as Parliament logjam persists
Govt ready for debate on student protests; Shah to reply
Letters Against Rajasthan Justice Expose India’s Judicial Accountability Gap
Centre may move Justice Varma's impeachment in Winter Session
Legal Experts: FIR Can Be Lodged Against Justice Yashwant Varma
Parliament probe finds Justice Yashwant Varma failed to explain cash
