Government Offers Parliament Debate on Student Protests, Says Amit Shah Will Respond
The Centre asks the Opposition to allow a detailed discussion on the July 20 police action against protesters as Parliament remains disrupted.
New Delhi: The Union government on Monday offered to hold a detailed discussion in Parliament on the student protests and said Home Minister Amit Shah would respond to the debate.
The proposal was made during a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee chaired by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju told Opposition leaders that the government was prepared to discuss the issue and that Shah would reply during the debate.
The offer comes after nearly two weeks of disruption in both Houses of Parliament. The Monsoon Session began on July 20, the same day protesters marching towards Parliament faced police action.
Opposition parties, led by Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, have been demanding that Shah make a statement on the police action.
The Opposition has described the demand for a statement from the Home Minister as non negotiable.
Government asks Opposition to avoid disruptions
Rijiju said the government was ready for a comprehensive discussion on the students’ movement and the events surrounding it.
He appealed to Opposition MPs not to disrupt the proceedings when the Home Minister responds.
According to Rijiju, MPs should allow the discussion to take place fully and listen to the government’s response before raising further objections.
Government sources said the offer should address the Opposition’s main demand, as Opposition leaders had been insisting that Shah personally respond to the issue in Parliament.
Opposition remains divided over agenda
The government’s proposal, however, has not completely ended the disagreement within the Opposition.
Some Opposition leaders believe the government may be attempting to use the offer to create divisions among opposition parties.
The Samajwadi Party, one of the major constituents of the INDIA bloc, has also been pushing for a discussion on alleged irregularities and donation related issues concerning the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
Congress leaders Gaurav Gogoi and K Suresh said the Opposition wants both matters to be discussed.
Gogoi said the Congress has consistently treated the students’ protest and the Ayodhya donation issue as two important matters and has not agreed to drop either one.
Parliament session ends on August 13
The Opposition has held repeated protests since the beginning of the Monsoon Session, resulting in frequent adjournments and limited legislative business.
The government’s latest offer is being viewed as an attempt to break the prolonged deadlock and restore normal functioning in both Houses.
With the Monsoon Session scheduled to conclude on August 13, the government and Opposition now face limited time to reach an understanding on the issues they want discussed.
Whether the proposed debate and Shah’s response will be enough to end the disruptions remains to be seen.