Parliament deadlock deepens: Govt offers debate, Congress sets non-negotiable conditions

The Monsoon Session of Parliament remained deadlocked on Monday as the government agreed to hold a debate on the recent student protests and a statement by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, but the Congress rejected the offer, insisting that all its demands be met first. The demands include an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for alleged police excesses against protesters and a statement on the reported embezzlement of Ram temple funds.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government was ready for a discussion and a detailed response to the issues raised by the opposition. He urged the Congress not to walk out during Shah's statement. "Congress and Rahul Gandhi have been demanding a statement from Shah from day one. The government is ready to hold a discussion. I request Congress not to walk out during his statement. It should not be scared and run away," Rijiju said.

The opposition, however, persisted with its protests, leading Rijiju to accuse Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi of shifting goalposts. Gandhi said all the issues raised by the Congress are "non-negotiable".

Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha J P Nadda said it appeared that Gandhi's intention was to prevent the House from functioning. "Rahul Gandhi, do not run away from discussion. We are prepared to discuss every issue inside the House," Nadda said after Gandhi was joined by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in rejecting the government's proposal. Nadda also denied that police had fired at protesters on July 20.

The session has been marred by opposition protests since it began on July 20. Except for an animated debate on the NEET paper leak and related issues, the Lok Sabha faced a couple of adjournments on Monday before Rijiju conveyed the government's proposal.

Rijiju had earlier put forth the government's stand at a meeting of floor leaders of different parties chaired by Speaker Om Birla. Some opposition MPs saw in it a bid to divide their ranks, as the minister made no commitment to the demand for a discussion on the reported theft of donations at the Ram temple — a demand primarily raised by the Samajwadi Party. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said the breach of faith of crores of devotees was not a normal issue and it must be discussed.

The opposition has so far not laid out the sequence in which it wants the issues to be discussed. Speaking to reporters later, both Kharge and Rahul said Shah must make a statement in Parliament on who authorised the "brutality" on students. Rahul said the country was not interested in Shah's "fantasy conversations" on general issues but wanted to know specifically if he ordered the use of pellet guns and nail-studded lathis on students. "Shah should come clean… We are seeking his resignation," he said.

Kharge stressed that all three demands are non-negotiable, suggesting the stand-off is unlikely to end soon, as the monsoon session ends on August 13. In a counter press conference, Nadda accused Rahul of misleading people by making a baseless allegation that shots were fired at student protesters during their march to Parliament on July 20. "Rahul has been disrupting the House for over 15 days by speaking lies and spreading confusion. His intention is not to engage in discussion but to stoke anarchy," Nadda said.

Nadda added that Shah is willing to reply to every claim if Congress allows the House to function. He recalled that the party had sought a discussion on the Strategic Investment Research Unit (SIR) in the past but walked out during the government's reply. The Congress has a history of running away from debates, he said.