Govt Ready for Debate on Student Protests, Amit Shah to Reply: Kiren Rijiju

The government is ready for a detailed debate in the Lok Sabha on the student and youth protests taking place across the country, including the police action against demonstrators, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said on Monday.

Rijiju said Union Home Minister Amit Shah would respond to the debate on behalf of the government, but urged Opposition parties to ensure that the discussion takes place peacefully and without disruptions.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting of the Lok Sabha’s Business Advisory Committee (BAC) at the Parliament House complex, Rijiju said the government had already made its position clear before the panel.

“We have made it clear to the BAC that the government is ready for a detailed discussion on the students and youth agitations that have been going on in different parts of the country as well as police action,” he said.

However, Rijiju said the Opposition would have to give an assurance that it would participate in the debate without sloganeering or creating turmoil. He said Opposition members should also remain in the House to listen to Shah’s reply instead of disrupting proceedings and leaving after raising their concerns.

The Opposition has been demanding a statement from the Home Minister on the police action against students protesting in the city last month. Shah has been regularly visiting the Parliament complex but has not been seen in the House during the ongoing standoff.

The Monsoon Session, which began on July 20, has witnessed repeated adjournments and disruptions, with Parliament conducting little business beyond the debate on the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, aimed at tackling paper leaks. The bill was passed by both Houses.

Three other bills were also passed by the two Houses with little or no debate, while two more were cleared by the Lok Sabha amid continued Opposition protests.

The Opposition had initially raised the NEET paper leak issue and allegations concerning the theft of donations at the Ayodhya Ram temple. It later shifted its focus to police action against students protesting over the NEET paper leak and demanded the presence and statements of both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah in Parliament.