Despite unrest, PM Modi, Amit Shah haven't spoken on NEET protests: Opposition

NEW DELHI: A political storm erupted in Rajya Sabha on Thursday after Congress chief and LoP Mallikarjun Kharge raised questions over home minister Amit Shah's absence and his silence on the police brutality on protesting students, saying "ek din bahar kheench ke layenge... janata ke beech (one day we will drag you out before people)".This drew strong objections from leader of the House JP Nadda and treasury members who accused Kharge of using unparliamentary language. Later, BJP slammed the RS LoP for "threatening" to incite violence against Shah.Kharge picked up from where Rahul Gandhi had left off in LS Wednesday, in what is being seen in certain BJP quarters as a confirmation of a plan by Congress to target Shah.Faced with angry protests, Kharge in RS clarified that he meant "Jan shakti (people's power) will drag him out to make him accountable. I never meant physically dragging him out."Speaking on Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, Kharge slammed absence of PM Narendra Modi and Shah from RS, saying they hadn't spoken anything despite so much unrest. "Despite so much unrest, you are not opening your mouth. Has someone stitched it?" he asked.Though opposition MPs did not oppose the bill, members questioned if the increased penalty and jail terms will stop paper leak. CPM's John Brittas flagged when the anti-paper leak bill was first introduced in 2024, govt claimed it would put an end to menace, but there have been more cases of paper leaks.RJD's Manoj Jha said that lawmakers merely using Gen Z words in their speeches in the House and making cosmetic changes won't help.MPs from DMK, AIADMK and Samajwadi Party demanded govt scrap NEET as "one size suits all" formula won't work for entire country.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.