Kiren Rijiju Accuses Opposition of Avoiding NEET Debate

Rijiju accuses Opposition of avoiding NEET debate in Lok Sabha

New Delhi: Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday charged the Opposition of "running away" from the discussion in the Lok Sabha regarding the NEET paper leak and the students' agitation. According to Rijiju, the government was willing to discuss the matter and answer any queries put forward by the Opposition.

Addressing the media in the Parliament House complex, Rijiju said he is "totally frustrated" as, according to him, the government is willing for a discussion, but the Opposition is unwilling to do so. According to him, such a situation is hard to explain as the government is prepared for the discussion.

These statements from Rijiju come following a statement from the Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, who asked Lok Sabha Speaker, Om Birla, to take into consideration the matter of discussing the students' agitations and NEET paper leak from the Opposition. Shah had also said that he is ready to answer the queries of the Members of the House.

Government Says It Is Ready for Discussion

Rijiju said the government had nothing to hide and was ready to deliberate on the issue in Parliament. He further added that if the Congress was ready for a debate, then the government was also ready to give more time for discussion.

As per Rijiju, the government wanted the Parliament to work as usual and also believed that issues should be deliberated in Parliament. He further said that the government and the Opposition have their roles in the democracy. “Government is ready, but can you imagine that the Opposition is not ready?” questioned Rijiju while criticizing the strategy of the Opposition.

Further, he urged the opposition parties to cooperate with the government so that the functioning of the House does not get affected. As per him, the government was ready to answer all the issues instead of ignoring the issues raised by the students and political parties.

NEET Paper Leak Became Major Political Issue

The paper leak of NEET exam has become one of the primary concerns that opposition parties and student groups have been raising. National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) is one of the most prestigious entrance examinations of India, which helps students gain admission into medical programs. A leak of any paper or irregularity of the test could have a serious impact on medical aspirants appearing in the exam.

Opposition parties have repeatedly questioned the examination process and sought clarifications from the government. There have also been student protests on the same issue, which has caught the attention of many.

Parliament Witnesses Repeated Disruptions

These comments from Rijiju came just one day before the conclusion of the Monsoon Session. Both houses of the parliament were subjected to multiple disruptions as members chanted slogans and sought a discussion on a variety of matters.

At first, the protests from the opposition party centered largely on the leakage of the NEET exam papers and the concerns of the students. However, the protests moved on to cover other issues such as donations to the Ram Temple at Ayodhya.

Rijiju maintained that the government was willing to discuss the concerns of the opposition and reply to them. He felt that not having a discussion would be against the spirit of parliamentary democracy.

Rijiju Appeals for Cooperation

The Parliamentary Affairs Minister stated that both the government and the opposition must contribute their bit in the House. He went ahead to state that although it is the responsibility of the government to answer questions, it is also the responsibility of the Opposition to join in the discussion.

Mr Rijiju said that even if the Congress accepted the discussion at 11am the next day, the government would increase the allocated time so that all sides can get a chance to present their perspectives. This is clearly another political stalemate in the NEET issue. Although the government insists that it is ready to answer any questions, opposition parties have continued to raise issues regarding examination irregularities and the future of such students.The issue continues to be significant because it is very crucial to many families of millions of students in the country because it determines whether the students can join medical colleges through the NEET examination.