Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday accused the government of denying other Opposition parties an opportunity to speak in the Lok Sabha during discussions on the alleged NEET-UG paper leak, questioning whether the BJP and the Congress had reached an understanding over the proceedings.
His remarks came amid continued disruptions in Parliament over the Opposition's demand for a discussion on the alleged examination irregularities and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
As the Lok Sabha convened, Opposition members continued their protest over the NEET controversy. After repeated disruptions, Speaker Om Birla allowed Congress leader K.C. Venugopal and Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju to address the House, prompting strong objections from Akhilesh Yadav.
A visibly agitated Akhilesh questioned why leaders from other Opposition parties were not given an opportunity to speak.
"You have allowed them (Congress) and them (BJP) to speak. What about us? Has the government struck a deal? Have you reached some kind of understanding?" Akhilesh Yadav said in the House.
The Samajwadi Party president maintained that the issue went beyond party politics and concerned the future of students across the country.
Demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Akhilesh warned that students would intensify their protests if their concerns continued to be ignored.
Referring to Tuesday's Opposition protest near Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence, where he joined Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and several other MPs, Akhilesh said the demonstration became necessary because the Opposition was not being allowed to raise the issue in Parliament.
"Rahul Gandhi and I went to the Prime Minister's residence because we had no other option. Had we been allowed to raise the issue in Parliament, we would not have gone there," he said.
Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Akhilesh also questioned why the Prime Minister had not addressed the issue inside Parliament despite making statements outside the House.
"Can't he make a statement in Parliament for the country's youth? If he can speak outside, why not inside Parliament?" he asked.
The Samajwadi Party chief further alleged that students suffered serious injuries during the police action against protesters participating in the 'Sansad Chalo' march earlier this week.
"The clothes of women students were torn, students were hit with lathis... Their limbs were broken. Is this the way to treat our students? Will you tear the clothes of our daughters? Is this the way to treat them?" he said.
The remarks come as the Opposition continues to press for a full-fledged debate in Parliament on the alleged NEET paper leak, action over the handling of the examination controversy, and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The repeated protests have disrupted proceedings in both Houses for the third consecutive day.
