Protest vs Protest Outside Parliament Over Amit Shah, Rahul Gandhi, Ram Temple

A group of security men, arms interlocked, were standing in between the Opposition and the NDA MPs as they raised slogans against each other while protesting right outside the Makar Dwar, one of the main gates at the Parliament building.   

The Opposition has two demands: that Home Minister Amit Shah appear in Parliament and explain the police crackdown on student protesters in Delhi and a discussion on the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

Staging a counter protest, the ruling party MPs accused Rahul Gandhi of running away from discussion and of practising double standards as the police in Jharkhand, where the Congress is a junior ally in the Hemant Soren-led government, lathicharged protesting students.

Opposition MPs and NDA leaders stage protests at Makar Dwar of Parliament
Photo Credit: ANI

Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan, Priyanka Gandhi and other Opposition MPs stage a protest at Makar Dwar of Parliament
Photo Credit: ANI

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav with SP MP Dharmendra Yadav and other Opposition MPs hold placards and a banner during a protest at Makar Dwar of Parliament
Photo Credit: ANI

The protests by NDA MPs come a day after the government offered to let Amit Shah address Parliament on the student protests. 

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju had said Shah was ready to answer the Opposition's questions, provided proceedings were allowed to function without disruption.

To this, Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, said that the Opposition is not interested in listening to Shah's "opinion" and just wanted an answer on who was behind the police crackdown.

The Lok Sabha remains adjourned following continued disruptions and several non-productive days in the House.

"The government has stated that the Home Minister is ready to respond. The government has agreed to your main demand, and other issues will also be discussed. Please cooperate," Speaker Om Birla said as the Monsoon Session entered its last week.

"Sharm karo, sharm karo, Rahul Gandhi, sharm karo," BJP MP Mukesh Dalal was raising slogans against the Congress leader when Priyanka Gandhi arrived in Parliament.

"Rahul Gandhi has already met the protesting students in Jharkhand," Priyanka Gandhi, with a smile, while crossing him leans in and tells the protesting BJP MP.

"Go to Jharkhand. Why have you not gone to Jharkhand," the MP, who was not amused, said with a stern face, as Priyanka kept walking and joined the protesting Opposition MPs. 

Speaking to reporters, Priyanka Gandhi said the Opposition has forced the government MPs to protest.

"This is the first time we have seen government MPs staging a protest. We have compelled them to this extent. Now, let them come forward and make a statement," she said.

Jharkhand Police used lathis and water cannons to control the crowd during the 'Vidhan Sabha gherao' march by Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) aspirants in Ranchi over alleged irregularities in the JPSC and JSSC-Combined Graduate Level (CGL) examinations.

"Jharkhand mei chatro pe lathi charge pe Rahul Gandhi jawab do (Rahul Gandhi should answer on the lathi charge on students in Jharkhand)," read the banners.

Ruling NDA MPs stage a protest against the brutal police action on job aspirants in Jharkhand
Photo Credit: PTI

BJP MP Kangana Ranaut in a protest against the brutal police action on job aspirants in Jharkhand
Photo Credit: PTI

BJP MP Anurag Thakur criticised the Congress leader over the issue and said justice should be delivered to the protesting youth in Jharkhand.

"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," Thakur said

Thakur also accused Rahul Gandhi and the Congress of demanding answers from the Union Home Minister while not attending the House.

"The Home Minister is ready to provide answers, but Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party are peddling lies and making reckless statements merely to stay in the headlines," he said.

Congress MP Manickam Tagore called for the "missing" Home Minister Amit Shah to appear in the Lok Sabha, accusing him of evading accountability for the recent police action against students in the July 20 rally at Jantar Mantar.

Tagore claimed that while the Home Minister is present within the Parliament complex, he is deliberately avoiding the proceedings of the House.

The Congress MP further dismissed the BJP's attempts to link Rahul Gandhi to student agitations in Jharkhand, asserting that responsibility lies with those who hold constitutional office in the respective jurisdictions.

"The Jharkhand government is responsible for what happened in Jharkhand; Rahul Gandhi is neither the Chief Minister nor the Home Minister there. Amit Shah, the Home Minister, is responsible for what happens in Delhi, as the Delhi Police falls under his jurisdiction," Tagore said.

On Monday, Rahul Gandhi condemned the use of force against protesting students in Jharkhand, acting as a counterweight to the criticism against his INDIA bloc ally.

"The use of force against students protesting in Jharkhand is wrong. Students have a right to peaceful protest, and only dialogue can yield solutions. The Jharkhand government must continue to hear these students out and resolve their issues immediately," he said.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav accused the government of avoiding a discussion and in Jharkhand he underlined that "dialogue is the only way forward". 

"The two issues are interconnected...Education, examinations, and the Ram Mandir are linked issues; they share a common source and are orchestrated from the same place. Therefore, a debate should be held on both issues. What is being said today could have been said a week ago; why wasn't it done then? Because they simply do not want to hold a discussion. Along with the discussion, they do not even wish to utter the name of Lord Ram... Regarding the Jharkhand issue, I stated this previously and reiterate it now: dialogue is the only way forward, and continuous engagement is essential; indeed, the Chief Minister and the government have already expressed their willingness to speak with the students," he said.