Kharge Reiterates Three Demands, Blames Govt for Continuing Parliament Standoff

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday said the Opposition remains firm on its demands and has not changed its position amid the continuing logjam in Parliament. He said the party’s stand has been consistent from the beginning, particularly on alleged police action against protesting students.

Addressing reporters at the Parliament House complex, Kharge said the Opposition has three specific demands. The first is for Home Minister Amit Shah to make a statement on the alleged lathi-charge and firing on students, including clarification on who ordered the action and how it was carried out.

Kharge said several students were hospitalized or suffered injuries following the police action, with some allegedly wounded by pellet guns. He questioned why the government had not provided a detailed statement despite 18 days having passed.

“They are merely trying to make a quick statement and move on,” Kharge alleged, accusing the government of avoiding a comprehensive response to the Opposition’s concerns.

The second issue raised by Congress relates to the “Chanda Chori” (donation theft) allegation, while the third is the demand for an apology. Kharge said all three issues had been raised from the outset and would continue to remain relevant until they were resolved.

Responding to questions about the ongoing students’ protest in Jharkhand, Kharge described it as a separate issue. He questioned whether every issue could be taken up in Parliament on the same day, arguing that different matters could be discussed separately.

Kharge’s remarks came a day after he and Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah of being responsible for the parliamentary deadlock.

Gandhi had said the Opposition wanted Shah to clarify whether he ordered pellet-gun firing on protesting students, rather than make a general statement in Parliament.

Congress has maintained that its three demands are “non-negotiable”, prolonging the standoff between the government and the Opposition.