Centre, Opposition's Face-Off In Parliament Over President's Address, NEET

Opposition MPs, demanding a debate over the NEET row, staged a walkout in Lok Sabha before returning as BJP leader Anurag Thakur started the proceedings with a debate on President Droupadi Murmu's address. Speaking in Rajya Sabha, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, "There was no vision, direction in President's address to Parliament. There was no mention of poor, Dalits or minorities in the address.

Earlier, Opposition MPs, including Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, protested at the Parliament complex today over several issues including the new criminal laws, the NEET paper leak row and the alleged misuse of central agencies. Mr Gandhi, speaking in Lok Sabha on the NEET row said, "We wanted a one-day discussion on NEET. It is an important issue. More than two crore students have been affected. Paper leaks have happened on 70 occasions. We would be happy if you allow a separate discussion on the issue."

In response to Mr Gandhi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that the House operates under established rules, procedures, and traditions and that during the motion of thanks on the President's address, no other issue has historically been taken up.

BJP leader Anurag Thakur, initiating the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address, highlighted the economic milestones of the NDA government over the past decade. Mr Thakur criticised Mr Gandhi, suggesting that the latter had enjoyed power without responsibility until his recent appointment as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.

Mr Thakur congratulated Gandhi on his new role but cautioned that with his position comes the responsibility of active participation. "Absentee landlordism will not work," Mr Thakur quipped, challenging Mr Gandhi's past record of attendance and engagement in parliamentary sessions. His remarks drew protests from Opposition members, particularly in Mr Gandhi's absence from the House during Mr Thakur's speech.

The Lok Sabha's proceedings were disrupted on Friday after Speaker Om Birla denied the Opposition's request to prioritise a debate on the NEET paper leak before addressing the Motion of Thanks. This decision led to a deadlock, with Opposition members, led by Rahul Gandhi, insisting that the NEET issue warranted immediate discussion. As a result, the House was adjourned until Monday.

Three new criminal laws came into effect today, bringing about significant changes in India's criminal justice system. The Congress has alleged that the laws were passed "forcibly" when 146 MPs were suspended from parliament proceedings. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge has said that the INDIA bloc will not allow such "bulldozer justice".

The NEET-UG examination, conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on May 5, saw participation from around 24 lakh candidates. Allegations of question paper leaks surfaced in states like Bihar after the results were announced on June 4, prompting widespread protests.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla categorically denied allegations that presiding officers have the ability to switch off the microphones of members during sessions. Addressing concerns raised by various MPs, Mr Birla said that the Chair does not possess any switch or remote control to silence the microphones.

The issue gained prominence last week when Mr Gandhi alleged that his microphone was deliberately turned off as he attempted to address the House on the irregularities concerning NEET.