New Delhi: Opposition parties on Wednesday spurned Home Minister Amit Shah’s proposal for a parliamentary debate on the ongoing student agitation in Delhi, choosing instead to keep up their disruption as the monsoon session neared its scheduled conclusion on Thursday.
While the Congress formally moved for the withdrawal of the FCRA bill inside the Houses as its way of registering protest, several Opposition benches nonetheless expressed relief that the controversial legislation was being sent to a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) instead of being rushed through amid protests, as the government has done with a number of other laws, as reported by The Economic Times.
Reacting to questions on Shah’s remark, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said, “We don’t want Amit Shah’s lecture. We want answers. Who shot at our students? Who ordered it? Who blinded one student? Who ordered lathis with nails to be used? That order came from the home ministry. Did Shah give the order to shoot our children or not? Either way, he must resign. If he did, then he should resign. For the last 20 days, Shah has been missing. The home minister of India has no courage”.
TMC MP Saugata Roy said, “Using force against students anywhere is wrong, and we do not support it. There should be a discussion on the use of lathis and pellet guns. We also demand an apology from Shah.”
When asked what the Opposition planned for the final day of the session, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said the protests in Parliament would go on. The Samajwadi Party, meanwhile, welcomed the decision to refer the FCRA bill to the JPC.
