The INDIA bloc leaders are set to demand a discussion in the Parliament on Friday, over the alleged discrepancies in NEET UG 2024 examination. They will also participate in the debate on the vote of thanks to President Droupadi Murmu's address.
However, if a discussion on the National Entrance cum Eligibility Test (NEET) issue is not allowed, the INDIA bloc leaders will hold a protest outside the Parliament House, news agency ANI reported citing sources.
The leaders have decided to give notice in both the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha for the same.
Additionally, the INDIA bloc leaders on Monday will hold a demonstration at the Gandhi Statue in Parliament over the alleged political vendetta and misuse of central probe agencies against the Opposition. This will also include the arrest of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, ministers, Hemant Soren and arrest of three ministers in West Bengal, sources added.
The decision came after the opposition grouping's floor leaders held a meeting at Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge's residence in the national capital on Thursday.
Hanuman Beniwal, President of Rashtriya Loktantrik Party, after the meeting said that the "opposition is united and it will raise the issues of NEET, Agniveer, inflation and unemployment and MSP in the Parliament".
Meanwhile, DMK MP T Siva said that the opposition will give notices in the Parliament over the medical entrance test issue on Friday.
Earlier in the day, DMK leader Kanimozhi said, "Tamil Nadu has been consistently saying that we do not want NEET. Now it is proved that NEET is not a fair examination and students are losing so much because of NEET."
She said that they want the medical entrance test to be abolished, saying that the resolution for the same passed in the Tamil Nadu Assembly is still with the President for signature.
Meanwhile, the government is ready to answer the opposition's questions on the matter if it is raked up during the debate in the Parliament, NDTV reported citing sources.
They reportedly said that the Centre has taken every possible action in this issue, from a special inquiry committee to a CBI probe. The committee's report is expected to be submitted soon, they said.
Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan will reportedly respond to the matter if it is brought up in the House on Friday.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that "the opposition will be in attacking mode," adding that "the mandate of the Lok Sabha polls is a personal, political and moral defeat of the Prime Minister. The opposition will remind of this every day."
YOUTH CONGRESS PROTEST AT JANTAR MANTAR
The Indian Youth Congress (IYC) on Thursday staged a protest at Jantar Mantar over the alleged irregularities in the NEET UG exam and against the Agniveer Scheme. They claimed that the police even lathicharged at them.
However, the police used "mild force" when the protesters tried to break the barricades but did not use lathicharge, a senior police official said.
IYC reportedly claimed that the protest led by their national president -- Srinivas BV -- was moving forward to gherao the Parliament, when the police tried to stop them with barricades and lathicharge.
In its statement, the IYC also said that several of its workers were also detained.
During the protests, Srinivas alleged that the scam in the NEET exam is not just a fraud with 24 lakh students but also a fraud with the country's medical system and future.
"Shame on BJP government. Every time, there is a paper leak in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat. How is it possible that 67 people got 720 marks in the NEET exam? Why is Prime Minister Narendra Modi quiet?" Srinivas said.
He added that Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan should resign. "Rahul Gandhi is now Leader of Opposition (LoP) and is ready to fight for every issue from road to Parliament, and we are all together," he said.
Some of the IYC workers also brought donkeys to the protests and in a post on X, Srinivas said, "Look carefully at these donkeys, they are the ones who conduct exams in the country as Education Minister, NTA Chairman and DG. @IYCResearchDept workers arrived at the Parliament siege by Youth Congress with those same donkeys."
The NEET UG 2024 examination was conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) was held on May 5 across 4,750 centres and around 24 lakhs candidates appeared for it.
The results for the exam were announced on June 4, the same day as the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
(With inputs from agencies)
