Congress Avoiding Student Protest Debate, Fears Facing HM: Nabin

NEW DELHI, Aug 12: BJP president Nitin Nabin on Wednesday accused the Congress and other opposition parties of deliberately avoiding a parliamentary debate on student protests, alleging that they were unwilling to face Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Nabin claimed the Opposition repeatedly changed its position on the proposed discussion during the Monsoon session despite the government’s readiness to debate issues linked to the students’ agitation and NEET paper leaks.

In a post on X, the BJP chief said Shah’s political experience and his ability to present facts in Parliament had made the Opposition reluctant to participate in the proposed debate.

“Truth is that the opposition is running away from discussion because they are afraid of facing the home minister,” Nabin said.

The BJP president, who is also a Rajya Sabha MP, also criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and accused the Opposition of displaying an “anti-democratic” approach throughout the Monsoon session.

According to Nabin, opposition parties initially sought a discussion on matters affecting the country’s youth but later withdrew their demand when the government agreed to hold a debate.

He alleged that the Opposition’s conduct prevented Parliament from addressing several important public issues and disrupted regular proceedings.

Nabin further criticised the Congress over repeated disruptions in both Houses, saying the conduct of opposition MPs set a poor example for newly elected lawmakers attending their first parliamentary session.

He claimed that the disruptions affected Question Hour and prevented several matters of public importance from being taken up for discussion.

The BJP leader also targeted Rahul Gandhi, alleging that his conduct as Leader of Opposition had affected the dignity and decorum of the Lok Sabha.

The political confrontation intensified after the government proposed a debate on student protests linked to the NEET paper-leak controversy on the penultimate day of the Monsoon session.

Shah offered to participate in a two-day discussion and said he was prepared to respond to questions raised by opposition MPs. He also asked the Opposition to submit a formal request to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla if it wanted the debate to proceed.

Speaking to reporters in the Parliament complex, Shah said the Opposition had to choose between participating in a discussion and disrupting House proceedings.

He separately wrote to the Lok Sabha Speaker, stressing that dialogue and debate were essential to resolving issues in a democracy and expressing confidence in democratic institutions.

The proposed discussion, however, failed to materialise after opposition parties rejected the government’s offer, leading to another confrontation in the House.

The exchange has added to tensions between the government and Opposition over the handling of student protests, examination irregularities and the broader issue of accountability in competitive examinations.