"Kharge had to enter well because his attempts to discuss NEET issue were ignored": Jairam Ramesh

"Such a senior leader was not allowed to speak today. On behalf of the Opposition and the INDIA bloc, Kharge was demanding that the discussion of paper leaks and NEET be taken up first. He kept raising his hand to demand a discussion but his attempts were ignored and in the end, Kharge had to enter the well of the House," Ramesh said, speaking in an exclusive conversation with ANI.

In response to allegations from the ruling party that Kharge's action is a blot on India's parliamentary history, Ramesh said that the chairman not allowing a senior politician like Kharge speak on such an important issue is actually the "blot".

"Today, Kharge kept requesting the Rajya Sabha Chairman to allow him to speak, but he kept ignoring Kharge. This is the blot," Ramesh said.

Rubbishing claims by the Bharatiya Janata Party that Kharge is the only Leader of Opposition to enter the Well in the Upper House, the senior Congress leader said that earlier, when Ghulam Nabi Azad was in the Congress party, he sat on the steps leading to the chairman's podium, which is also part of the Well in protest against the abrogation of Article 370.

"Today it is being said that never before has an LoP entered the Well. Yesterday's rival has become today's partner. On August 5, 2019, when the Bill on abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir was brought, at that time, the then LoP Ghulam Nabi Azad had entered the Well in protest. Why do I know this? Because I was sitting beside him," Ramesh said.

The Congress General Secretary said that if the Chairman had allowed them, the discussion would have lasted for only a few hours which would have been wrapped up by the Education Minister's statement.

"It would have been a 4-5 hour debate, the Education minister would have given a statement and that would be it," Ramesh said.

The senior Congress leader said that even after suffering losses in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not learnt his lesson and is still engaging in confrontational politics.

"The Prime Minister gives big statements. He is a Prime Minister who speaks about building consensus but in action he engages in confrontation...He has not been able to understand the results of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He has suffered a political loss, ideological loss, personal loss. But he is running away from it. He is again engaging in confrontational politics and he is the same," Ramesh said.

Earlier in the day, Kharge stirred a row by walking into the well of the House with other MPs to attract the "attention" of the Chairman while demanding a discussion on the NEET issue.

Speaking to ANI on entering the well of the House, the Rajya Sabha LoP said, "It is his (Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar's) mistake...I went inside to draw his attention. But even then he was not looking... I was drawing attention. He was only looking at the ruling party. When I draw his attention as per the rules, he should look at me, but instead, he deliberately ignored me to insult me. So what was left for me? So to draw attention I would have to either go inside or shout very loudly. So I will definitely say that it is Chairman Sahab's mistake. I say that he should not do this and should maintain the dignity of this Rajya Sabha..."

On the importance of having a discussion on the NEET row, Kharge said, "There have been such big scams, NEET exam, the paper has been leaked, lakhs of children are worried. So to draw attention to the problem of people, we asked for a specific discussion. We did not want to disturb anyone, we only wanted to raise the issues of the students...But he did not give it a chance, did not even pay attention to it and that is why we had to do this."

The opposition continued its strident pitch on the alleged irregularities in the NEET examination on Friday with the Congress and other parties demanding a discussion on the floor of the House.With the government insisting on first completing the motion of thanks to the presidential address both Houses were adjourned with the Lok Sabha adjourned till Monday, July 1, 11 AM.

Expressing shock at Kharge entering the well of the House, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar said, "Honourable Members, today has become so tainted in the history of the Indian Parliament that the Leader of the Opposition himself has come to the well. This has never happened before. I am pained, I am shocked. The Indian parliamentary tradition will deteriorate to such an extent that the Leader of the Opposition will come to the well, the Deputy Leader will come to the well."

No business was conducted in the lower House with the Opposition holding strong on its demand for a discussion on NEET. (ANI)