New Delhi, July 24 — On the fifth day of the ongoing Monsoon Session, the Rajya Sabha on Friday failed to transact any substantive business as Opposition members continued pressing for a detailed discussion on the NEET paper leak scandal and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The House witnessed repeated adjournments amid noisy protests, with only papers being laid and committee reports tabled since the session commenced at 11 a.m.
As the House assembled for the day’s business, Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan read out a message to pay homage to those soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice in service of the nation during the Kargil War.
After the initial laying of papers and reports, the House moved to take up regular business.
Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and Congress President, Mallikarjun Kharge, raised the issue of the Delhi Police lathi-charge on protesting students that took place last Monday. His intervention triggered an immediate uproar from the Opposition Benches, forcing Chairman Radhakrishnan to adjourn the House till 12 noon.
The Opposition has been unrelenting in its demand for a full-fledged debate on the NEET irregularities and ministerial accountability.
Despite multiple disruptions in the previous days of the session, the NDA government is yet to concede to a comprehensive discussion on the sensitive issue that has affected lakhs of students nationwide.
Several ministers laid important papers on the Table of the House. These included documents from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry by Jitin Prasada, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare by Ram Nath Thakur, the Ministry of Rural Development by L. Murugan and the Ministry of Railways by V. Somanna on behalf of Ravneet Singh.
Also, members including Ghanshyam Tewari and Akhilesh Prasad Singh presented key Action Taken Reports of the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee and Public Accounts Committee.
The continued stalemate in the Rajya Sabha highlights the deep divisions between the ruling dispensation and the Opposition over the handling of the NEET paper leak controversy.
With the session progressing, both sides are expected to intensify their positions, making smooth functioning of the House challenging in the coming days.