NDA and Congress-Led Opposition MPs Stage Rival Protests in Parliament Complex

NEW DELHI: NDA and Congress-led opposition MPs staged rival protests in the Parliament complex on Tuesday and were seen face-to-face, holding placards and raising slogans against each other as security personnel formed a cordon between the two groups.

The ruling alliance accused the opposition of avoiding discussions inside the House while raising issues outside it, while the opposition demanded accountability from Union home minister Amit Shah over alleged police action against students during NEET protests.

NDA MPs marched from the Parliament Library towards Makar Dwar, raising slogans including “Rahul Gandhi Jawab Do” and “Rahul Gandhi Bhago Maat” (Rahul Gandhi, answer us, don’t run away). They accused Rahul and the opposition of avoiding a discussion in Parliament on Jharkhand student protests despite the government's decision to take up the issue.

Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi on Monday condemned the use of force against protesting students in Jharkhand. The government had on Monday announced a discussion on student protests in different parts of the country, with Union home minister Amit Shah expected to lead the debate. Rahul, however, questioned the government's approach, saying the country was not interested in Shah's opinion on “general topics” and wanted to know whether he had ordered the use of pellet guns against protesting students. The government and the opposition have also been at odds over the functioning of Parliament.

BJP leaders also questioned Rahul Gandhi's response to the alleged use of lathis and water cannons against protesting students in Jharkhand. BJP MP Anurag Thakur said, “Justice must be done for the youth of Jharkhand. The way they were subjected to lathi-charges and atrocities reveals the mindset of Rahul Gandhi.”

On the other side, opposition MPs, including Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, MP Dimple Yadav among others staged a separate protest in the Parliament complex. They demanded accountability from HM Shah over alleged police excesses against students during the July 20 protest in Delhi.

The opposition MPs also raised the issue of alleged theft of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya and protested against what they described as “police excesses” against student protesters. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra defended Rahul Gandhi, saying he had already met protesting students in Jharkhand. “Rahul Gandhi has met the students from Jharkhand,” she told ANI.

The rival protests came amid growing political focus on student agitations across the country. In Jharkhand, thousands of job aspirants marched towards the state Assembly in Ranchi on Monday over alleged irregularities in JPSC and JSSC recruitment examinations. Police used lathis and water cannons to disperse protesters after clashes broke out.