Government-Opposition deadlock continues over Parliament discussions
The impasse between the government and the Opposition continued on Monday after a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee failed to produce an agreement on resuming normal parliamentary proceedings.
The government offered to hold a detailed debate on the protests by students, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah expected to respond. The Opposition, however, insisted that allegations concerning the management and use of donations linked to the Ayodhya Ram Mandir Trust should also be included in the discussions.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government had accepted the Opposition’s demand for a comprehensive discussion on the student protests. He said Shah would respond to the issues raised during the debate and urged Opposition parties to allow Parliament to function.
Rijiju also suggested that differences between the Congress and Samajwadi Party were contributing to the continuing disagreement.
The Opposition said the government’s proposal did not address all of its concerns. Congress Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi, who attended the committee meeting, said the Opposition wanted explicit clarity on allegations of police action against students as well as the controversy surrounding the Ram Mandir Trust.
According to Gogoi, the government had not clearly stated whether Shah would address allegations of police brutality during the student protests. He also said there had been no firm commitment to hold a debate on the alleged financial irregularities and administrative issues involving the Ayodhya temple trust.
Opposition leaders maintained that agreeing to discuss only the student protests would not be enough to break the deadlock.