NEW DELHI — Congress MPs continued their protest outside Parliament on Wednesday wearing black attire over the alleged irregularities in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) and the police crackdown on student protesters in the capital on Monday.
After yesterday’s dharna by Congress leaders led by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi outside the Prime Minister’s residence, Congress contingent turned up dressed in black at Parliament and protested outside the gate.
Members of several opposition parties joined the protest as they demanded the resignations of Home Minister Amit Shah and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The Opposition has been demanding a discussion in Parliament on the NEET issue and the police crackdown on student protesters in the capital on Monday.
Samajwadi Party MPs also wore black scarves to join the Opposition protest against the government. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav had also joined the Congress dharna outside the PM’s residence and was detained along with the Congress leaders.Opposition MPs displayed placards and raising slogans against the government and the police action on students.
Congress leaders said the black dress protest symbolised the “dark future” allegedly being imposed on students due to repeated failures in conducting fair and transparent examinations. They maintained that the issue was not merely political but concerned the aspirations of millions of young people.
The Opposition MPs made it clear that any discussion can only happen after Education Minister’s resignation.
“Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan must resign first, and then there will be discussion. After the lathi charge on so many students, what will be the discussion now? Dharmendra Pradhan must resign,” Congress MP Pawan Khera told NDTV
Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday accused the government of exploiting students and demanded the resignations of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Home Minister Amit Shah over the NEET paper leak controversy.
Rahul Gandhi placed five demands before the government, including the resignations of Shah and Pradhan, action against police officials who attacked students, and an apology from the Prime Minister.
The protest follows a series of demonstrations by opposition parties and student organisations over alleged paper leaks and irregularities in competitive examinations.
The BJP, on its part, hit back at Gandhi, accusing him of using students as “ammunition for his politics”and also planning to hold protests outside Congress offices across the country against the party’s dharna outside the PM’s residence.
