New Delhi, Aug 13: A political face-off erupted between the ruling NDA and Opposition INDIA bloc at Parliament’s Makar Dwar on Thursday, with rival groups staging protests over police action against students in Jharkhand and alleged irregularities in the handling of donations meant for the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
Security personnel formed a cordon between the two groups as MPs from both sides raised slogans and traded accusations.
NDA MPs protested against Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of “running away” from a debate on the Jharkhand student protests. The Opposition, meanwhile, demanded accountability from Union Home Minister Amit Shah over alleged police excesses during a July 20 protest by youth linked to the NEET paper leak issue.
Opposition MPs, mainly from the Congress, Samajwadi Party and Trinamool Congress, also raised the alleged theft or embezzlement of Ram temple donations. Carrying placards, they raised slogans including “Amit Shah maafi maango” and “chanda chor, gaddi chhor”.
The Opposition also displayed a banner asking, “Chanda kisne loota hai?” and raised slogans targeting the BJP.
The INDIA bloc has been protesting for around three weeks, demanding Amit Shah’s presence in Parliament and a statement on the alleged police action against youth protesters. The government’s offer of a debate and a response from Shah has failed to end the deadlock, with the Congress insisting that the Home Minister specifically address who ordered the alleged firing of pellets against protesters.
Congress has also maintained that a discussion on the alleged theft of Ram temple funds is “non-negotiable.”
BJP MP Kangana Ranaut criticised the Opposition’s protests, saying, “The Opposition has no issue when it comes to development, the country’s progress, the economy or defence.”
“When they have no issue left, they are throwing their tantrums here,” she said.
The confrontation came amid heightened scrutiny of the financial management of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. The selection committee for the appointment of the trust’s first full-time chief executive officer has completed interviews of 18 shortlisted candidates from around 5,200 applications.
The shortlisted candidates reportedly include retired Army officers, former IAS and IPS officers and people with experience in temple administration, security and management. The committee is expected to recommend three names, from which the trust will make the final appointment.
The CEO selection process comes against the backdrop of allegations of embezzlement of donations meant for the Ram temple. Eight people have been arrested in the case, while three officials, including former trust general-secretary Champat Rai, have stepped down.
The rival protests at Makar Dwar underline the widening political confrontation between the NDA and INDIA bloc, with both sides seeking to put the spotlight on issues they say demand answers from the government.
