In what was a stormy start to the day’s proceedings, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi raised the NEET irregularities and paper leak issue in the Lower House as soon as the House assembled for the day.
Parliament Session: Opposition MPs staged a walkout from the Lok Sabha on Monday after they pushed for a separate one-day discussion on the NEET paper leak issue and sought a clear assurance from the government on the matter.
In what was a stormy start to the day’s proceedings, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi raised the NEET irregularities and paper leak issue in the Lower House as soon as the House assembled for the day.
The LoP, along with the rest of the opposition MPs demanded a separate discussion on the matter, prompting Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to assert that it cannot be held till the House finishes with the motion of thanks on the President’s address.
“We wanted a one day discussion on NEET. It is an important issue. More than two crore students have been affected. Paper leaks have happened on 70 occasions. We would be happy if you allow a separate discussion on the issue,” Gandhi said.
Singh, deputy leader of the Lok Sabha, asserted that the House has certain rules and procedures and also on healthy tradition, which are a strength of this House.
“In my decades-long tenure as a parliamentarian, never has any other issue been taken up during the motion of thanks on the president’s address. Other issues can be raised after passing the motion of thanks,” Singh said.
Seizing on his comments, Gandhi and other opposition leaders insisted that the House discuss the issue after the debate on the motion of thanks and sought a specific assurance from the government.
“We can send a message from Parliament to the students that the issue of NEET is very important for us,” the Congress leader said.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said there was no convention of taking up any other discussion during the debate on the motion of thanks and members can give a separate notice for the discussion on NEET.
Opposition members were on their feet as the speaker called on BJP member Anurag Thakur to initiate the discussion on the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address. The opposition continued to insist on a categorical assurance from the government on having a separate discussion on NEET and staged a walkout.
NIA agrees to Engineer Rashid taking oath as MP
Meanwhile, the NIA on Monday consented to jailed Kashmiri leader Sheikh Abdul Rashid, known as Engineer Rashid to take oath as MP on July 25.
Engineer Rashid, who contested the 2024 Lok Sabha election from jail and emerged victorious from the Baramulla seat, defeating National Conference leader Omar Abdullah, has been lodged in Delhi’s Tihar jail since he was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2019 and charged in a terror funding case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The former MLA had had moved the court seeking interim bail, or custody parole in the alternative, to take oath and perform his parliamentary functions. On June 22, a special court had adjourned the matter and asked the NIA to file its response.
On Monday, the NIA’s counsel said Rashid’s oath taking be subject to some conditions like not speaking to the media. He also said Rashid must complete everything within a day.
Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh will pass an order on the plea on Tuesday.
(With PTI inputs)