Demand special discussion on NEET issue under Rule 267: Mallikarjun Kharge

New Delhi [India], June 28 (ANI): Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said that the Opposition is demanding a special discussion on the NEET examination issue in the House.

“Under Rule 267, we are demanding a special discussion on it in the House, and after that, we will state our demands,” Kharge said, speaking to reporters on Friday.

Earlier in the day, Kharge stirred a row by walking into the well of the House with other MPs to attract the “attention” of the Chairman while demanding a discussion on the NEET issue.

Speaking to ANI on entering the well of the House, the Rajya Sabha LoP said, “It is his (Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar’s) mistake…I went inside to draw his attention. But even then he was not looking… I was drawing attention. He was only looking at the ruling party. When I draw his attention as per the rules, he should look at me, but instead, he deliberately ignored me to insult me. So what was left for me? So to draw attention I would have to either go inside or shout very loudly. So I will definitely say that it is Chairman Sahab’s mistake. I say that he should not do this and should maintain the dignity of this Rajya Sabha…”

On the importance of having a discussion on the NEET row, Kharge said, “There have been such big scams, NEET exam, the paper has been leaked, lakhs of children are worried. So to draw attention to the problem of people, we asked for a specific discussion. We did not want to disturb anyone, we only wanted to raise the issues of the students…But he did not give it a chance, did not even pay attention to it and that is why we had to do this.”

The opposition continued its strident pitch on the alleged irregularities in the NEET examination on Friday with the Congress and other parties demanding a discussion on the floor of the House.

With the government insisting on first completing the motion of thanks to the presidential address both Houses were adjourned with the Lok Sabha adjourned till Monday, July 1, 11 AM.

Expressing shock at Kharge entering the well of the House, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar said, “Honourable Members, today has become so tainted in the history of the Indian Parliament that the Leader of the Opposition himself has come to the well. This has never happened before. I am pained, I am shocked. The Indian parliamentary tradition will deteriorate to such an extent that the Leader of the Opposition will come to the well, the Deputy Leader will come to the well.”

No business was conducted in the lower House with the Opposition holding strong on its demand for a discussion on NEET.