Opposition's ruckus leads to adjournment of both houses for the day

Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the day on Wednesday due to continuous disruptions by opposition parties over the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) paper leak and police action against students.

The House was adjourned twice before the final adjournment at 2 pm. As soon as the proceedings began at 11 am, Congress and some other opposition parties started protesting, leading to an adjournment till 12 pm.

When the House reassembled at 12 pm, opposition parties again started protesting, with some members storming the Well of the House. Several opposition members were holding placards with slogans against NEET, while Congress members wore black clothes in protest.

K C Venugopal of the Congress said the manner in which the police were treating opposition parties and students was "highly improper". He demanded that the Education Minister resign and a detailed discussion be held on the paper leak issue.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government was willing to discuss the NEET paper leak issue. The discussion would be held under a specific rule and its duration would be decided through consensus, he added.

Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party (SP) said the paper leak issue was not just about the Congress, BJP, or SP, but a matter concerning all. "The police have been brutal with students, and daughters' clothes were torn," he said.

Yadav asked why the Prime Minister could not speak on the issue in the House when he could do so outside. Speaker Om Birla then said the discussion would be held at an appropriate time and urged opposition members to return to their seats and allow the House to function.

However, the opposition members continued their protest, leading to another adjournment. Earlier, at 11 am, as soon as Speaker Om Birla announced the start of the Question Hour, opposition members stood up and started protesting.

Birla requested the members to allow the Question Hour to proceed, saying all issues could be discussed after that. However, the opposition members did not relent, and the Speaker adjourned the House for an hour.

In the Rajya Sabha, opposition members created a ruckus over the same issue, leading to three adjournments before the final adjournment for the day. The Monsoon Session of Parliament has been disrupted for the third consecutive day, with no legislative business being transacted so far.

Deputy Chairman Harivansh allowed DMK member T Tiruchi Siva to speak on the issue after the second adjournment. Siva said he had given a notice under Rule 267 for a discussion on the police action against students and that it was a rare matter.

The government had also assured that it was willing to discuss the issue, he added. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government was willing to discuss the issue but the Congress was putting conditions.

Rijiju accused the Congress of spreading a wrong message outside and creating an excuse to disrupt the discussion. He said opposition leader Mallikarjun Kharge was an experienced leader but the Congress was putting conditions for the discussion.

Kharge said the House had decided to discuss rare matters under Rule 267, and what could be a rarer matter than the police charging students and women with lathis. As the opposition members started shouting, the Deputy Chairman adjourned the House for the day.

Earlier, the House was adjourned twice due to opposition protests, first till 12 pm and then till 2 pm and 3 pm. The ongoing stalemate between the government and the opposition has disrupted the proceedings of the Monsoon Session for the third consecutive day, with no legislative business being transacted.