Spread the news
New Delhi, July 22
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday said the government was prepared for a detailed discussion in Parliament on the alleged NEET examination paper leak, urging all political parties to reach a consensus on the rules and timing of the debate amid continuing disruptions in both Houses. He said the Centre had been willing to discuss the issue from the very beginning, describing it as a matter of national importance that had affected millions of students and their families.
“We have stated from day one that the government is always ready to discuss any issue that is in the national interest and in the interest of the youth,” Rijiju told Parliament. He said the only question that remained was under which parliamentary rule the discussion should take place.
Calling for a constructive debate, Rijiju criticised protests outside Parliament, saying the issue should be debated inside the House rather than “taken to the streets”.
He said citizens had a right to know what action the government had taken in response to the paper leak and that Parliament was the appropriate forum for such a discussion. The minister said the government had requested Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to convene a meeting of all political parties to decide the rule, date and duration of the debate, adding that discussions should begin as soon as possible and continue for as long as necessary.
The government’s remarks came as Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan met Speaker Om Birla in Parliament after the Centre formally agreed to hold a detailed discussion on the NEET paper leak in the Lok Sabha.
Meanwhile, BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj defended the government’s handling of the ongoing student protests linked to the controversy. She said the authorities had allowed demonstrators to continue their protest peacefully for several days and had shown restraint even when protesters later marched towards Parliament.
Sharing details, Swaraj said that the Delhi Police had not acted against the protesters while their demonstration remained peaceful. “But argued that security considerations became important when Parliament was surrounded without permission,” she added.
She said that democratic institutions must be respected while safeguarding the right to peaceful protest.
The North News
