Centre Agrees To Detailed Lok Sabha Debate As Dharmendra Pradhan Meets Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla

Heated exchanges erupted in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday as the Opposition demanded Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over the alleged NEET paper leak and raised the issue of the Delhi Police crackdown on student protesters.

The Centre has agreed to hold a detailed discussion in the Lok Sabha on the NEET paper leak issue. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla after the government's announcement. While the Opposition welcomed the debate, it continued to demand Pradhan's resignation over the handling of the alleged examination irregularities.

Raising the matter in the House, Congress MP K.C. Venugopal reiterated the Opposition's demand for Pradhan's resignation and urged the government to accept an adjournment motion to facilitate a discussion on the issue.

"Our demand is very clear: Education Minister should resign. If you accept the adjournment motion, then discuss it," Venugopal said.

Responding to the demand, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government was ready to discuss the alleged NEET paper leak in Parliament. However, he clarified that the format, duration and procedural rules governing the debate would be decided by Speaker Om Birla after consultations with floor leaders of all political parties.

"The government is ready to discuss the NEET paper leak issue. However, when the discussion takes place, it happens in line with a rule. When the discussion is held, for how long and under which rule should be decided by the Speaker after meeting with all party floor leaders. The government is ready to discuss the issue, and we all want to engage in a meaningful discussion regarding the future of this country's youth," Rijiju said.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said the issue was beyond party politics and directly concerned the future of students across the country. He questioned why Opposition leaders were not being allowed to speak and alleged that students had faced excessive police force during the protests.

"This issue is not of Congress, Samajwadi Party or the BJP; it's about the youth of the country. When the students will not be heard, we will come out on the streets. The way the government behaved with the students... their hands and heads were broken, their clothes were torn. Will you tear the clothes of our daughters?" Yadav said.

He also defended the Opposition's protest outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence, saying it took place only because they were not allowed to raise the issue in Parliament.

"We went outside the Prime Minister's residence in desperation. If you had allowed us to speak here, we wouldn't have gone. Can the Prime Minister not give a statement here? If he can do it outside, then why not in the House?" he added.

Despite Speaker Om Birla's repeated appeals to restore order, Opposition MPs continued protesting inside the House. The Speaker pointed out that the government had already agreed to discuss the issue and urged members to participate in the debate instead of disrupting proceedings. However, the protests continued, forcing the House to be adjourned till 2 p.m.

The Monsoon Session has witnessed repeated disruptions for the third consecutive day over the alleged NEET paper leak and the police action against student protesters in Delhi.

Meanwhile, the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) urged activist Sonam Wangchuk to end his indefinite hunger strike. CJP leader Abhijeet Dipke said Wangchuk's life was "far too precious" and assured that the peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar would continue until the group's demands were met.

At the same time, CJP said Delhi Police had conveyed that BJP president J.P. Nadda wanted to meet the protesters. However, the party declined to visit any government office and instead proposed holding the meeting at a neutral venue near Jantar Mantar.

"This morning, the police reached out to us and said that J.P. Nadda wanted to talk to us. We are not going to anyone's office. We could meet at a neutral place near Jantar Mantar," CJP chief spokesperson Saurav Das said.

In a positive development, Delhi's Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital said the 21-year-old woman injured during the July 20 protest has shown significant improvement. Doctors said she has been taken off the ventilator, is breathing on her own, is conscious and responding to commands. MRI scans of her brain and spine are normal, and she remains the only patient admitted to the hospital in connection with the protest-related violence.