Saving Pradhan may cost Modi parliament paralysis
Image credit X @jsuryareddy
Opposition aiming at Pradhan to assert Lok Sabha poll mandate
By Manish Anand
New Delhi, June 25: The 18th Lok Sabha comes to life from today. The newly-elected members will take oaths for two-day.
The Lok Sabha will elect the House Speaker on June 26. This will mark the conclusion of the ritual to get the House in the order.
Afterwards, the Opposition is all set to force the “spirit of the people’s mandate” onto parliament. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence in the raging students’ protests against the alleged paper leaks in the NEET UG examination is all set to be the target of the Opposition.
Also Read: Modi govt dreads Opposition stoking NEET protest wildfire
The details of the investigation by the Economic Offence Wing (EOW) of Bihar suggest that the National Testing Agency (NTA) was aware of the incident of the paper leaks in the NEET UG as early as May 4, a day before the date of the test.
Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan had dismissed claims of paper leaks in the NEET UG. Where are the evidences, Pradhan told reporters in the midst of the raging protests.
The Opposition will go after Pradhan on premise that he must have been aware of the incident of paper, for the NTA is directly under his mandate. The CPI (M) has already sought the resignation of Pradhan.
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The Congress has claimed that “buck stops at the top”. The Congress is sensing that the NEET UG protest is a god-sent opportunity for the party to re-connect with the youth.
The Opposition is likely to maintain the orderly decorum only up to the address of President Droupadi Murmu to the joint session of parliament. The customary inaugural address of the President to the joint session of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha will take place on June 27.
For the next three days of parliament session, the Opposition leaders are promising fireworks in both the Houses. Incidentally, former president of the Congress Rahul Gandhi also has to decide on his acceptance of the post of the leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha.
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The Congress Working Committee (CWC) had nominated Gandhi for the post of the LoP in the Lok Sabha. If he were to accept the nomination, the Congress leader claimed that the NEET UG protest could be a perfect launch-pad for Gandhi.
The immediate task of the ruling dispensation at the Centre is to work out a passage of vote thanks on the President’s address to the joint session of parliament. But the Opposition is all geared up to deny the government the honour for an orderly discussion on the motion of thanks to the President’s speech.
Also, the Opposition is baying to deny Prime Minister Narendra Modi an open house to make his lengthy speeches in both the Houses of parliament. The Opposition strategies in parliament suggest heckling Modi during his speeches in parliament will now be a norm.
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