Waving ‘Rahul Gandhi bhago mat’ posters, NDA MPs stage protest march in Parliament premises

NDA MPs protested at Parliament, accusing Rahul Gandhi and the Opposition of avoiding a discussion on police action against protesting students. The BJP said Home Minister Amit Shah was ready to respond, while the Opposition continued protests over NEET irregularities and alleged police brutality

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA MPs staged a protest on Tuesday, with multiple lawmakers heading towards the Parliament’s Makar Dwar, carrying placards with slogans like “Grah Mantri ki Charcha se Rahul Gandhi bhago mat (Rahul Gandhi, don’t run away from Home Minister’s reply)”.

The BJP MPs asserted that the Opposition and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi are “running away” from the discussion on the police action against students’ protest even as the government confirmed that Home Minister Amit Shah is ready to give a statement on the issue.

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Earlier on Monday, amid the heavy sloganeering from the Opposition benches in the Lok Sabha, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju told the House that Union Home Minister Amit Shah will make a statement about the students’ protest and called upon the Opposition not to “run away” during the discussion.

Meanwhile, holding banners and posters against the Opposition, the NDA MPs stated that even as the government is ready to discuss the students’ protest issue, the INDIA bloc is trying to disrupt the Parliament proceedings to avoid the discussion.

Some MPs were also seen holding banners condemning the Opposition’s “silence” over the police action against peacefully protesting students in Jharkhand and demanded a statement from Rahul Gandhi over the issue.

“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.

BJP MP Anurag Thakur called out the “double standards” of Rahul Gandhi and accused the Lok Sabha LoP of “running away” from discussion even as the Home Minister will make a statement and staying “silent” on the Jharkhand protest issue.

He further claimed that Gandhi fails to attend the House, while demanding answers from the Home Minister. BJP MP Kangana Ranaut accused the Opposition of “stalling” the Parliament even when the government agreed to the discussion on the “Cockroach protest”. She also said that the Opposition is “betraying” the country by repeatedly making a ruckus in the Parliament. This came as the Monsoon Session entered its last week on Monday. However, the Opposition continued its protest over the NEET paper leak issue and the police action against the protestors on July 20.

The issue relates to the police action against the protesters at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar during the ‘Sansad Chalo’ march on July 20 over the NEET paper leak and other examination-related irregularities. The Opposition has been demanding the Home Minister’s answer over the police “brutality” against the students during the protest.