Parliament Monsoon Session: RS adjourned till 2 pm as Opposition demands Pradhan's resignation
The fourth day of the Monsoon Session continued to witness high political drama on Thursday, with the Rajya Sabha being adjourned till 2 pm after repeated clashes between the government and the Opposition over the NEET paper leak controversy.
The deadlock persisted as Opposition parties insisted that Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resign before any discussion on the issue could begin.
Both Houses of Parliament saw repeated disruptions during the day, with noisy protests and sloganeering forcing multiple adjournments. While the Lok Sabha was adjourned till noon amid Opposition protests, the Rajya Sabha, after initially being adjourned till 12 pm, was again adjourned till 2 pm as the standoff showed no signs of easing.
Opposition sticks to resignation demand
When the Rajya Sabha reassembled at 12 pm, Mallikarjun Kharge renewed the Opposition's demand for Pradhan's resignation, saying the government must first respond before any debate on the examination controversy could proceed.
Kharge alleged that several students injured during the police action against protesters at Delhi's Jantar Mantar remained hospitalised and said their families were deeply distressed.
He maintained that the Opposition was willing to discuss the NEET issue only after the Education Minister stepped down. 'Until he resigns, discussion will not start,' Kharge asserted in the House.
Earlier in the day, Congress MP KC Venugopal had also submitted an Adjournment Motion notice in the Lok Sabha, seeking suspension of regular business to discuss what he described as the 'severe and ongoing crisis' in India's examination system and the police action against student protesters on July 20.
The Lok Sabha, meanwhile, descended into chaos as soon as Speaker Om Birla called for Question Hour.
Despite repeated appeals to members to maintain order and allow proceedings to continue, Opposition MPs continued raising slogans, prompting Birla to adjourn the House till 12 noon.
Government accuses Opposition of blocking debate
The government maintained that it was fully prepared to discuss the NEET paper leak issue and accused the Opposition of deliberately stalling Parliament by attaching preconditions.
Earlier, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said all political parties had agreed to discuss NEET and urged the Opposition not to politicise the matter by insisting on conditions before the debate.
After the House reconvened, Leader of the House J P Nadda criticised the Opposition's stand, calling its conduct 'highly irresponsible.'
'They neither want any discussion nor let the House function. First, they told us to discuss the paper leak, and the government said we would discuss NEET and all other issues,' Nadda said before Chairman C P Radhakrishnan adjourned the Rajya Sabha till 2 pm.
The repeated disruptions marked yet another day of legislative paralysis, with Parliament witnessing continuous adjournments since the Monsoon Session began on Monday.
The ongoing confrontation over the NEET paper leak issue, the demand for Pradhan's resignation and allegations surrounding police action against student protesters continue to dominate proceedings, leaving little room for scheduled legislative business.