The proceedings of the Lok Sabha witnessed a significant moment of friction within the opposition ranks on Wednesday as Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav expressed his displeasure over the handling of the NEET paper leak issue. While the opposition has largely presented a united front against the government on this matter, the internal dynamics between the Congress and the Samajwadi Party appeared strained during the parliamentary session. The tension became palpable when Akhilesh Yadav questioned the understanding between the Congress and the ruling government, suggesting a lack of coordination among the alliance partners.
The Lok Sabha Confrontation
As the Lok Sabha convened at 12 PM on Wednesday, the atmosphere was already charged with slogans and demands for justice regarding the NEET paper leak. Members of the Samajwadi Party, led by Akhilesh Yadav, were vocal in their protests, seeking an opportunity to address the House. However, the situation took a turn when Speaker Om Birla invited Congress leader KC Venugopal to speak, followed by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju. This sequence of speakers seemingly sidelined the Samajwadi Party's attempt to voice its concerns at that specific moment.
Feeling ignored, Akhilesh Yadav began to lead a walkout with his party MPs. It was at this juncture that Speaker Om Birla intervened, noting that Akhilesh Yadav had also requested time to speak and invited him to do so. In a sharp and sarcastic retort, the Samajwadi Party leader asked what was left to say, further questioning if a compromise or deal had been reached between the government and the Congress, given that both had been given the floor while other opposition voices felt bypassed.
Disagreement Over Resignation Demands
The friction extended beyond the floor of the House, while akhilesh Yadav raised concerns about the specific demands being made by the opposition. He highlighted the brutality faced by students during protests, mentioning that daughters' clothes were being torn during police action and that strict action must be taken against such atrocities. When KC Venugopal interrupted him during his speech, Akhilesh Yadav responded sharply regarding the demand for the Education Minister's resignation, while he remarked that resignations could be taken whenever desired, even from outside the House, implying that the focus should remain on the immediate plight of the students.
Internal Friction and Lack of Communication
Sources indicate that the conversation between KC Venugopal and Akhilesh Yadav continued even after the House was adjourned, while venugopal reportedly questioned why Akhilesh didn't emphasize the demand for the Education Minister's resignation, stating that it was a primary demand of the students that the opposition was trying to raise. In response, Akhilesh Yadav voiced a significant grievance regarding the Congress party's unilateral actions. He questioned why senior Congress leaders went to the Prime Minister's residence for a sit-in protest without informing or taking other opposition parties into confidence.
This lack of communication seems to be a major point of contention. While the Congress chose to protest at the PM's residence, the Samajwadi Party has been consistently supporting the CJP protests at Jantar Mantar. Akhilesh pointed out that the Congress had maintained its distance from the Jantar Mantar protests, choosing instead to lead a separate crowd to the PM's residence without prior consultation with its allies.
Protest in Black Clothes
Interestingly, this display of internal discord came shortly after Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi were seen protesting together outside Parliament. Both leaders, along with other opposition MPs, had arrived at Parliament wearing black clothes to register their protest against the lathi charge on students and the arrest of opposition leaders. During that joint protest, Akhilesh Yadav had issued a stern warning to the government, stating that if the demands of the students continued to be ignored, they would be forced to take to the streets once again. Despite this outward show of unity, the subsequent events inside the Lok Sabha have raised questions about the strategic alignment between the two major opposition parties on the NEET issue.