Protest Vs Protest: NDA, Opposition MPs face-off outside Parliament

New Delhi: Ruling NDA and Opposition INDIA bloc MPs came face-to-face at Parliament’s main gate on Tuesday — with security personnel forming a cordon between them — as they staged protests and raised counter-slogans over “brutal” police action on job aspirants in Jharkhand and issues surrounding the alleged theft of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

While NDA MPs alleged that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was “running away” from a debate on student protests across the country, INDIA bloc MPs demanded accountability from Union Home Minister Amit Shah over alleged police excesses during the July 20 student protests over paper leaks. 

As protests erupted at ‘Makar Dwar’, MPs from the two opposing sides raised counter slogans while holding placards displaying their respective demands. However, security personnel formed a cordon between them.

The NDA MPs marched from the Parliament Library towards the main entrance of the House, ‘Makar Dwar’ after attending their weekly ‘Mangal Milan’, the coalition’s parliamentary party meeting, and raised slogans like ‘Rahul Gandhi Jawab Do’ and ‘Rahul Gandhi Bhago Maat’ among others.

On Monday, the government had announced a debate on student protests in various parts of the country by Home Minister Shah. However, Gandhi said the country is not interested in Shah’s opinion in Parliament on “general topics” and wants to know if he ordered firing of pellet guns at protesting students.