NEW DELHI — Indian Home Minister Amit Shah has offered to take part in an extended parliamentary discussion on protests by students over the NEET examination controversy, but the opposition has rejected his proposal, leaving the Lok Sabha deadlocked on the issue.
Shah said on Wednesday that he was prepared to remain in Parliament from 3 p.m. that day until 3 p.m. the following day to hear the opposition's concerns and answer questions. He also challenged opposition parties to submit the issues they wanted discussed.
The offer followed weeks of disruption in Parliament over the government's handling of protests linked to allegations surrounding the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), India's main medical entrance examination.
Opposition parties have demanded that Shah address allegations concerning police action against students during a July 20 protest march in New Delhi. The opposition has also sought accountability from the government over the treatment of demonstrators.
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi rejected Shah's offer, saying the opposition wanted answers rather than what he described as a lecture. The exchange underscored the continuing disagreement over the format and terms of any parliamentary discussion.
Shah has said the government has nothing to hide and is prepared to answer questions on the protests. The Economic Times reported that he offered a two-day discussion and said he was ready to respond to questions from opposition members.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has separately accused the opposition of preventing a debate despite the government's stated willingness to discuss the issue. He said the government was ready to address concerns surrounding the examination and the student protests.
The dispute has contributed to repeated disruptions of parliamentary proceedings during the monsoon session. Opposition members have previously demanded statements from Shah over the July 20 events, while the government has argued that protests inside the House have themselves prevented the home minister from addressing the matter.
Earlier, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi had accused the government of being unwilling to permit a debate on the student protests and called for discussion in both houses of Parliament. The government has disputed that characterization.
As of Thursday, the proposed discussion had not resolved the parliamentary impasse, with the government maintaining that it is ready to debate the issue and the opposition continuing to seek answers on the allegations surrounding the treatment of protesting students.
