NEW DELHI, Aug 12: The government’s latest attempt to break the deadlock in the Lok Sabha over student protests and the NEET paper leak issue failed on Wednesday, as the Opposition rejected Home Minister Amit Shah’s proposal for a detailed debate followed by his response.
With the Monsoon Session nearing its scheduled conclusion, Shah said he was prepared to remain present throughout the proceedings and respond to every question raised by Opposition members.
The Home Minister urged the Opposition to submit a formal request to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, saying the government was ready to hold discussions for an extended period and had nothing to conceal.
Shah said democratic dialogue and debate were essential to resolving contentious issues and expressed confidence in Parliament and its institutions. He also said the proposed discussion would allow both the treasury and Opposition benches to put forward their views on the students’ agitation.
However, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi dismissed the proposal, saying the Opposition was not interested in listening to what he described as Shah’s “lecture” in Parliament.
Gandhi focused on the police action against protesting students and demanded clarity over who authorised the use of pellet guns. He argued that if the Home Minister had ordered such action, he should be held responsible, while failure to know about it would amount to incompetence.
“If Shah ordered that students be shot at, he is culpable, and if he did not, then he is incompetent,” Gandhi said, adding that either situation warranted his resignation.
Shah subsequently wrote to the Speaker, requesting consultations with Opposition parties and suggesting that sufficient time be allocated for the proposed debate. He reiterated that he would stay through the entire discussion and respond to questions raised by Opposition members.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju also urged the Opposition to accept the government’s offer. He said the session could even be extended if the Congress agreed to participate in the discussion.
“Extension of the session is a very small matter,” Rijiju said, adding that the government would be willing to extend proceedings if the Opposition agreed to hold the debate.
Despite repeated appeals from the Chair and the government, protests continued when the House reconvened in the afternoon. Opposition members raised slogans and remained in the Well, preventing normal proceedings.
Rijiju later described the Opposition’s refusal to participate in a debate as “unthinkable and incomprehensible”, arguing that the government was willing to answer all questions.
The Lok Sabha had witnessed similar disruptions earlier in the day. When proceedings began at 11 am, Opposition members immediately entered the Well, leading to an adjournment after only a few minutes. The situation remained unchanged when the House met again at 2 pm.
During the afternoon sitting, the government also moved a proposal to send the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, to a Joint Parliamentary Committee. The motion was approved amid Opposition protests.
Opposition members, including Congress MP KC Venugopal, objected to the legislation, alleging that it could adversely affect minorities and non-governmental organisations. The government rejected the allegations, with Rijiju challenging the Opposition to identify any provision that specifically targeted a minority community.
He maintained that concerns regarding the proposed legislation could be raised before the Joint Parliamentary Committee.
The government had previously offered a discussion on the student protests, but the Congress had declined the proposal. The latest effort came amid continuing disruptions that have dominated much of the Monsoon Session.
The Opposition’s protests initially centred on allegations surrounding the NEET paper leak and claims of irregularities involving donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The demands later expanded to include a debate on police action against students protesting over the examination controversy.
The Opposition has also sought the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Home Minister during the proceedings and demanded that they make statements on the issue.
With the session approaching its conclusion, attempts to find common ground remained unsuccessful, leaving the Lok Sabha adjourned amid continued political confrontation.