Govt Ready To Discuss NEET Paper Leak; CJP Won't Go To 'Anyone's House Or Office': What is happening?

The standoff between the government and the Opposition over the alleged NEET paper leak continued in Parliament on Wednesday, with both sides agreeing on the need for a debate but remaining divided over the procedure under which it should be held.

While the government said it was prepared for a discussion under parliamentary rules, Opposition parties insisted that the issue must be taken up through an adjournment motion, which would allow the House to suspend its scheduled business and hold a focused debate.

Outside Parliament, the Cockroach Janta Party, which has led the agitation over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, rejected an invitation to meet Union Minister JP Nadda at his residence. The organisation said talks should be held at Jantar Mantar or at a mutually agreed neutral location nearby.

Opposition Demands Adjournment Motion

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the Opposition was not unwilling to debate the matter but wanted adequate time for a detailed discussion through an adjournment motion.

“We are demanding an adjournment motion so that this issue (NEET paper leak) can be discussed properly. If the government can devote eight hours to discussing Vande Mataram, it can certainly allocate sufficient time for a detailed discussion on this issue through an adjournment motion. The government is always engaged in political games instead of addressing the real concerns,” she told news agency PTI.

Congress MP KC Venugopal repeated the party’s demand in the Lok Sabha and called for the Union education minister to step down.

“Our demand is very clear. Education Minister should resign,” Venugopal said.

The Opposition has maintained that a general debate would not be sufficient to address the alleged examination failures, accountability of officials and concerns raised by students across the country.

Government Ready To Debate

The Centre accused Opposition MPs of preventing Parliament from functioning despite its repeated offer to discuss the controversy.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju told the Lok Sabha that the government had been expressing its readiness for a debate for three consecutive days.

“We have been offering from the government’s side for last three days that we are ready for discussion over NEET paper leak issue. We have said this on the first day that discussions take place as per some rules. The government is completely ready for a discussion over NEET paper leak issue. The government wants a meaningful discussion over the future of country’s youth,” Rijiju said.

Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha and Union Minister JP Nadda also criticised the INDIA bloc over disruptions in Parliament.

“The INDI Alliance’s conduct is very irresponsible. We can clearly see this anti-democratic conduct in the Parliament. Parliamentary decorum is being shredded and democratic values are being violated,” Nadda said.

He added that the government was willing to debate the NEET controversy and related matters.

“Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has said very clearly just now that the Govt is ready to discuss all issues. Besides this, our Govt is ready to also discuss NEET paper leak and all matters related to it,” he said.

Nadda described the Narendra Modi-led government as transparent and accused the Opposition of engaging in “anti-people activities”.

“They do not believe in democracy or democratic values,” he said.

CJP Declines Meeting At Nadda’s Residence

The CJP, meanwhile, said it would not hold discussions with ministers at their homes or offices.

Chief spokesperson Saurav Das said the organisation was informed by the police that Nadda wanted to speak to its representatives, but the proposed venue was unacceptable.

“This morning, the police reached out to us again and informed us that Union Minister JP Nadda wanted to speak with us. They invited us to his residence, but we categorically declined. We are not going to anyone’s house or office,” Das said.

He said the protest site was functioning as a “janata darbar” and ministers should engage directly with the demonstrators.

“If the ministers want to talk, they should come to the people. The discussion should take place at Jantar Mantar,” he said.

Das, however, indicated that the group was open to an alternative venue if the government had security concerns.

“At the same time, we are reasonable people. If the government is concerned about security at the protest site, we are willing to meet at a neutral venue near Jantar Mantar. We are still waiting to hear back from them,” he said.

The CJP spokesperson also said the government must demonstrate that it intended to seriously consider the protesters’ demands before initiating negotiations.

“The government must have the intention to accept our demands. There is no point in calling us for meaningless discussions. Our time is valuable. Thousands of people are still participating in the protest, and we have to manage that as well,” Das said.

He asked the Centre to clarify whether it genuinely intended to engage with the organisation.

The CJP claimed that thousands of people had assembled at Jantar Mantar on Wednesday. Das shared visuals showing the growing crowd at the protest site.

Speaking to news agency ANI, CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka warned that “millions more will come” if the government does not agree to the protesters’ demands.

Amid the continuing agitation, the Ministry of Home Affairs ordered the immediate deployment of 20 additional companies of the Central Reserve Police Force in Delhi. The personnel are being moved to the national capital from West Bengal.