Issue cannot be settled by Congress and government alone: Akhilesh Yadav in Lok Sabha

New Delhi: The government and the Opposition on Wednesday outlined their respective positions in the Lok Sabha on holding a discussion on the NEET paper leak issue, with differences over the format and preconditions preventing any breakthrough.

The government told the House it was ready for a discussion once leaders of various parties agreed on the time and duration. The Congress, however, reiterated its demand for the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan and insisted that the discussion begin only after the Chair accepted its adjournment motion on the issue.

The exchange prompted Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav to object to what he described as an "agreement" between the government and the Congress, saying the issue could not be decided by the two sides alone as all parties were protesting against the government's handling of the agitating students.


Amid the row, the Chair adjourned the House. Members of the INDIA bloc also staged a protest outside Parliament House over the paper leak issue and demanded the education minister's resignation.

Spelling out the government stand, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju told Lok Sabha; "The government is fully ready to discuss the NEET paper leak issue. We have been saying it since the first day. To enable a discussion, it is important to decide the time and rules for discussion. Speaker sir, let there be a discussion with the leaders of all parties to decide the day and duration of the discussion. We are ready for discussion, we will do a constructive discussion". He was responding after K C Venugopal (Congress) said: "The whole governance is failing. The way the government brutally handled the agitating students was shocking and we are all protesting against it. We are demanding the education minister's resignation. For the discussion, you accept our adjournment motion on the issue".