Union Home Minister Amit Shah has written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking a discussion in the House on the ongoing student protests over the NEET examination, while Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi hit back, saying the Opposition wants answers rather than a lecture.
Shah seeks House discussion
In his letter dated August 12, Shah said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju had already agreed during a Business Advisory Committee meeting to hold a discussion on the student movement concerning NEET. Shah also pointed out that the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, had been discussed during the current session, but no Opposition member had raised the NEET issue during that debate. Despite this, he said, the government was ready to discuss the matter again. “I request you to consult with the Opposition and, based on mutual agreement, allocate as much time, whether in terms of days or hours, as you deem appropriate starting today,” Shah wrote. He said he would remain present in the House and answer questions raised by the Opposition. Earlier, Shah told reporters that the Opposition should submit a written notice to Birla by 2 pm to enable a discussion from 3 pm on Wednesday until 3 pm Thursday. He said he would respond to the debate at 3 pm on Thursday.
We Are Not Interested In Shah Giving Us A Lecture: Rahul Gandhi
However, Rahul Gandhi accused Shah of avoiding the House. “The Opposition has clearly said that we are not interested in Amit Shah giving us a lecture. When I say ‘we’, I mean the younger generation of this country,” he said. Gandhi questioned who ordered action against protesting students and asked whether Shah had directed police to “shoot our children”. He added that if Shah had issued such an order, “he should resign.”
