NEET row: Deve Gowda appeals for patience as Parliament witnesses chaotic scenes

NEET row: Deve Gowda appeals for patience as Parliament witnesses chaotic scenes

The Rajya Sabha on Friday witnessed chaos as the opposition insisted on a detailed discussion on the NEET examination row, with senior JD(S) leader H D Deve Gowda saying that the government cannot fix responsibility until the probe in the matter is completed.

Opposition leaders, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, entered the Well of the House during the discussion on the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address.

Gowda said lakhs of students have been affected because of the alleged irregularities in the conduct of the medical entrance exam.

“I do not want to take sides. The government has taken the right decision (to order a CBI probe),” the former prime minister said.

He also appealed to the opposition members to let the House function smoothly, adding that all should wait for the CBI report.

Meanwhile, Congress members started sloganeering demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the issue. Members from the Congress, DMK, TMC, Samajwadi Party and others also trooped into the Well of the House.

BJP leader Sudhanshu Trivedi, who initiated the discussion on the Motion of Thanks, said it was unfortunate that the opposition was continuing with its protests and sloganeering despite an appeal for order by a senior member like Gowda.

The JD(S) is part of the NDA and Gowda’s son H D Kumaraswamy is the Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises minister in the Modi cabinet.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said a committee has been formed to look into the issue. He said not allowing the House to function in a pre-planned manner is not right for parliamentary democracy.

Rejecting the opposition’s demand for discussion over the NEET issue, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said there has not been tradition to allow any discussion during the period when a discussion on the Motion of Thanks on President’s address to the joint sitting of both the Houses of Parliament is scheduled.

He accused the Congress and other opposition parties of undermining the dignity of the House.

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi said they want to give a message to the students that this is an important issue and a discussion must be held on it.

Amid ruckus, Leader of the House J P Nadda asserted that the government is ready to listen and reply on the NEET issue, however, the opposition’s intention was to disrupt the proceedings of the House.

Congress MP Pramod Tiwari said 25 lakh students are on the street over the issue.

Kharge said in the last seven years, 70 paper leaks incidents have happened. He demanded discussion over the issue.