A political face-off unfolded outside Parliament's Makar Dwar on Thursday as MPs from the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the opposition INDIA bloc held rival protests over the ongoing NEET paper leak controversy, leading to heated slogan-shouting and further disruption during the Monsoon Session.
The INDIA bloc MPs staged a demonstration demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, alleging that repeated examination paper leaks had compromised the future of millions of students. Carrying placards and raising slogans, opposition leaders accused the Centre of failing to ensure transparency in the country's examination system and sought an immediate discussion on the issue in Parliament.
At the same time, NDA MPs organised a counter-protest, accusing the opposition of disrupting Parliament instead of participating in a debate. They alleged that the INDIA bloc was spreading misinformation and deliberately avoiding a discussion despite the government's willingness to debate the matter in both Houses.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju reiterated that the government was prepared for a detailed debate on the NEET issue and even offered the opposition the flexibility to decide the date and duration of the discussion. BJP leaders maintained that Parliament was the appropriate forum to raise concerns and criticised the repeated disruptions of proceedings.
Meanwhile, BJP National President Nitin Nabin challenged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders to participate in the debate, saying the government was ready to answer every question related to students and the examination system. He accused the opposition of trying to gain political mileage from the issue while refusing to engage in parliamentary discussion.
The confrontation at Makar Dwar came amid continuing protests over the alleged paper leak controversy, which has triggered demonstrations by students and opposition parties across the country. With both sides refusing to back down, the standoff once again disrupted the functioning of Parliament and underscored the deep political divide over the handling of the examination system. Separately, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to press for a structured debate on the issue under parliamentary rules.
