A protest over protest erupted as opposition and NDA MPs raised slogans against each other while protesting outside the Makar Dwar, one of the main gates of the Parliament building. The protests sprouted over the demands that Home Minister Amit Shah should appear in Parliament and explain the police crackdown on the students in Delhi, and a discussion on the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
Visuals of the protest featured Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan, Priyanka Gandhi and other opposition MPs at the Makar Dwar of Parliament. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and SP Dharmendra Yadav, along with the opposition MPs, were seen holding placards and banners during the protest.
BJP MP Mukesh Dalal raised slogans targeting the Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. A heated exchange through sloganeering took place between the BJP MP and the opposition leader Priyanka Gandhi, who arrived to join the protest. Answering questions by reporters, Priyanka Gandhi said the opposition has forced the government MPs to protest. “This is the first time we have seen government MPs staging a protest. We have compelled them to this extent. Now, let them come forward and make a statement,” she said.
The protest comes a day after the government offered to let Amit Shah address Parliament on the student protest. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju had said that Shah was ready to answer the questions by the opposition, provided proceedings were allowed to function without any disruption.
“The government has stated that the Home Minister is ready to respond. The government has agreed to your main demand, and other issues will also be discussed. Please cooperate,” Speaker Om Birla said as the Monsoon Session entered its last week.
However, leader of the opposition Rahul Gandhi, in the Lok Sabha, hit back saying the opposition was not interested in listening to Shah’s opinion and just wanted answers on who was behind the police crackdown.
The Lok Sabha remains adjourned following the continuous disruptions in several non-productive days in the House.
Earlier on Monday, Rahul Gandhi condemned the use of force against students protesting in Jharkhand, acting as a counterweight to the criticism against his India bloc ally.