New Delhi, Aug 11: The Jharkhand student protest triggered a fresh political confrontation outside Parliament on Tuesday, with NDA and Opposition MPs staging rival demonstrations over police action against protesting job aspirants and the disruption of proceedings.
BJP-led NDA MPs accused the Opposition, particularly Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, of avoiding a debate on the issue, while Congress members demanded that Union Home Minister Amit Shah personally come to the House and make a statement.
The NDA MPs protested outside Makar Dwar carrying placards and raising slogans targeting Gandhi, including “Grah Mantri ki Charcha se Rahul Gandhi bhago mat” (Rahul Gandhi, don’t run away from the Home Minister’s discussion).
The ruling alliance maintained that the government was ready to discuss the police action against students and that Shah was prepared to make a statement in Parliament.
Congress MPs staged a counter-protest and raised slogans of “Amit Shah Sadan mein aao” (Amit Shah, come to the House), insisting that the Home Minister address the issue personally.
Congress MP Pawan Khera launched a sharp attack on Shah, the BJP and the RSS while demanding the Home Minister’s presence.
“Home Minister Amit Shah runs away, we don’t. They call themselves a ‘Loh Purush’, but the iron has rusted,” Khera said.
“These RSS people have always been like this. They are the biggest cowards,” he added.
Khera further said, “Let our government come to power, and we will give them a fitting reply.”
Congress MP Ujjwal Raman Singh defended the Jharkhand government and said the state administration was addressing the students’ concerns.
“You are in power, yet you are unable to accomplish anything. You talk about Jharkhand, where the government is addressing the issue,” Singh said.
“Our leader Rahul Gandhi has said that students should not be suppressed and that their concerns should be heard,” he added.
The BJP, however, accused Gandhi of adopting a selective approach towards student-related issues.
“He has turned a blind eye to the atrocities in Jharkhand. This selective approach will no longer work,” BJP MP Dinesh Sharma said.
BJP MP Sambit Patra questioned who was responsible for ordering the police action against the protesters, pointing out that Congress is part of the Jharkhand government.
“The brutality against the students who were peacefully protesting in Jharkhand is condemnable. Who ordered the lathi-charge and such actions?” Patra said.
“Members of Rahul Gandhi’s party are part of the Jharkhand government as MLAs and ministers. Is Rahul Gandhi not culpable?” he asked.
Patra also challenged Gandhi to clarify his position on the Jharkhand government.
“If it did not happen on his orders, then Rahul Gandhi should come before the media and clarify that he will withdraw support from the Jharkhand government,” he said.
The BJP leader also accused Gandhi of avoiding the proposed discussion in Parliament.
“When the government has announced that the Home Minister will deliver his statement in Parliament over the students’ protest, Rahul Gandhi has again run away. This won’t work, and Rahul Gandhi will have to answer,” Patra said.
The protests outside Parliament came amid continued disruptions inside the House, with the government and Opposition maintaining sharply different positions over the police action against Jharkhand students.
The students in Jharkhand have been protesting over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations conducted by the JPSC and JSSC, demanding reforms, cancellation of certain examinations and an independent probe.
