New Delhi, July 22 (IANS). Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav got angry when only Congress and BJP got the opportunity to speak on the NEET paper leak issue in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. Expressing his objection to Speaker Om Birla, Akhilesh Yadav said that you gave Congress and BJP an opportunity to speak, have you compromised with them?
Akhilesh Yadav said in the Lok Sabha, “You let them (Congress) speak, you let them (BJP) speak, have you compromised? Why didn’t you let us speak? Speaker ji, this aspect is not right at all. These young students belong to all of us. We all are fighting for them.”
On the NEET issue, Akhilesh said, “This is not a matter of Congress, Samajwadi Party or BJP, but it is of the youth and students. If the students are not listened to, we will come to the streets.”
The SP chief criticized the government’s handling of the protests and alleged that excessive force was used against students during the protests. He said, “The way the government treated the students, their hands and heads were broken, their clothes were torn. Will you (the government) tear the clothes of our daughters?”
Referring to the opposition’s protest near the Prime Minister’s residence, Akhilesh Yadav said, “I and Rahul Gandhi were there, we went to the Prime Minister’s residence under compulsion. If the government had overheard the conversation here (House), we would not have gone there.”
He also said that the government can speak outside for the youth, why can’t it speak in the House.
Earlier, Congress MP KC Venugopal raised the issue of NEET in the House and demanded a comprehensive discussion. On this, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju clarified that the government is ready for talks on this issue.
Speaker Om Birla said, “Opinions from all parties have come. You (Samajwadi Party) also want discussion, they (Congress) also want discussion and the government is also ready for discussion. But discussion cannot be held like this while standing in the gallery of the House.” After this the proceedings of the Lok Sabha were adjourned till 2 pm.
–IANS
DCH/
