Opposition MPs Stage Protest March in Parliament Over Key Issues
Opposition's March in Parliament
On Wednesday, members of the opposition organized a protest march within the Parliament premises. They demanded a statement from Home Minister Amit Shah regarding the alleged police actions against students, sought discussions on the purported irregularities in donations for the Ram Temple, and called for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood. Led by Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, and Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the MPs marched from the statue of Mahatma Gandhi at the Inspiration Site to the Makar Dwar. During the march, they chanted slogans against the government and carried placards.
Concerns Raised by Congress President
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also participated in the protest, questioning Shah's absence from Parliament and insisting that he address the issues raised by the opposition. Kharge remarked to reporters, "Why isn’t he coming to the House? He is disrespecting Parliament. It has been several days, yet he refuses to attend. What is the difficulty in coming and making a statement?" The protesting MPs demanded that Shah provide a statement regarding the alleged police brutality against students during protests related to the paper leak case last month.
Allegations of Misuse of Donations
Several opposition members accused the government of misusing donations made for the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. MPs from Jammu and Kashmir reiterated their demand for the restoration of the region's statehood, coinciding with the seventh anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370. The MPs shouted slogans like 'Amit Shah, answer us' and displayed posters criticizing the government. As a symbolic protest against the alleged misuse of temple donations, they placed donation boxes near the Makar Dwar steps, with some MPs even putting cash into them.
Notable Leaders in Attendance
The protest saw participation from various opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party MPs Dimple Yadav and Dharmendra Yadav, TMC leaders Sagarika Ghosh and Mahua Moitra, NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule, JMM's Mahua Maji, and RSP's N.K. Premachandran.