Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Jul 19: The Opposition, led by the Congress, on Sunday said it would press the Central government on several contentious issues during the Monsoon Session of Parliament, including allegations of theft of offerings at the Ayodhya Ram Temple, the NEET-UG paper leak, and the alleged forcible hospitalisation of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk.
The statements came after an all-party meeting convened by the Centre ahead of the session, which begins on Monday.
Congress MP Kumari Selja said the Opposition would raise a range of public issues, including concerns affecting students, inflation and the alleged theft at the Ram Temple.
She accused the government of ignoring the hardships faced by ordinary citizens, citing rising prices and fuel costs. Selja also questioned the Centre's policy on ethanol, claiming that consumers were facing difficulties while experts had failed to provide satisfactory explanations.
Congress deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi said the country was facing several pressing issues that deserved greater attention than the government's proposed legislative agenda.
He urged the Centre to respond to the Opposition's demands for discussions on these matters and called on the government to show "sensitivity" regarding the allegations related to donations at the Ram Temple. Gogoi noted that Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had jointly written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking action on the issue.
He also referred to student protests and alleged injustice faced by students, saying the government had failed to demonstrate accountability.
Congress MP Manish Tewari said his party would also seek a discussion on the issue of defections from Opposition parties.
According to Tewari, the present composition of the Lok Sabha no longer reflects the mandate given by voters in the 2024 general elections because of what he described as large-scale political defections. He argued that Parliament should first deliberate on measures to prevent such defections, alleging that many of them were driven by political opportunism rather than ideological differences.
Samajwadi Party MP Dharmendra Yadav said his party had submitted notices seeking discussions on several issues, including the alleged irregularities involving donations collected during the construction of the Ram Temple.
He described the allegations as a betrayal of devotees' trust and said Parliament should debate the matter. Yadav also said the Samajwadi Party would raise the NEET-UG paper leak, reported student suicides linked to the examination controversy, and the alleged forcible hospitalisation of Sonam Wangchuk.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Hannan Mollah accused the BJP-led government of corruption and avoiding accountability.
Referring to allegations concerning funds linked to the Ram Temple and other temples, Mollah claimed the government should respond to the charges in Parliament instead of avoiding discussion.
The Monsoon Session is expected to witness heated exchanges between the government and the Opposition as both sides prepare to debate key legislative proposals alongside a range of political and public issues.