Ruling NDA and Opposition INDIA bloc MPs faced off outside Parliament on Thursday, staging rival protests over police action against student protesters in Jharkhand and allegations surrounding donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
The MPs gathered near Makar Dwar, with security personnel forming a cordon between the two groups as they raised counter-slogans.
NDA MPs accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of avoiding a debate on student protests, while INDIA bloc MPs demanded accountability from Union Home Minister Amit Shah over alleged police action against students during their July 20 protest.
The Opposition also raised allegations of theft involving donations at the Ram temple.
Before the confrontation, the two groups had held separate protests. NDA MPs sat on the steps of Makar Dwar and raised slogans against Gandhi, accusing him of refusing to participate in a proposed discussion on student protests.
BJP MP Kangana Ranaut criticised the Opposition, saying it had no substantive issues to raise.
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“The Opposition has no issue when it comes to development, the country's progress, the economy or defence. When they have no issue left, they are throwing their tantrums here,” she said.
Opposition MPs, mainly from the Congress, Samajwadi Party and Trinamool Congress, carried placards and raised slogans targeting Shah and the BJP. They demanded that the home minister respond to allegations of police excesses during the student protests.
The INDIA bloc has been pressing for Shah to appear in Parliament and respond to the allegations. The government's offer of a debate followed by the home minister's reply has failed to break the deadlock.
The Congress has insisted that any response should specifically address allegations over who ordered the use of pellet guns against protesting students.
The Opposition has also maintained that a discussion on the alleged Ram temple donation irregularities is “non-negotiable”, adding another point of contention between the government and Opposition during the final day of the Monsoon Session.
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