New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah has written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, urging him to consult the Opposition and allocate time for a debate on the nationwide protests over the NEET paper leak, according to reporting on Wednesday. Shah said the government is prepared to participate in a detailed discussion and answer all questions raised by the Opposition.
Offer to face Parliament amid disruptions
In his communication to the Speaker, Shah described Parliament as the forum for resolution through discussion and dialogue and said he has an "unwavering faith in democracy and democratic institutions," the report said. He also noted that the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, had agreed on behalf of the government at the Business Advisory Committee meeting to take up the student protests regarding the NEET exam.
"I intend to be present in the House during the allotted time, participate in the discussion on this issue, and am prepared to answer all questions from the opposition," Shah wrote, the report said.
Shah’s letter comes amid repeated disruptions in Parliament as the Opposition has pressed the government over the NEET paper leak and ensuing student protests. The Opposition has singled out Shah in its criticism, asserting he has been avoiding Parliament; the Home Minister dismissed that charge in his letter and reiterated his readiness to engage.
Parliamentary context and earlier proceedings
The letter also referred to the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026. Shah said that the bill was discussed during the current session at the request of the Opposition and that, during that debate, "no Honorable Opposition MP expressed any views regarding the NEET exam," according to the report. Despite that, he said the government was willing to discuss the matter again.
The Modi government and the Opposition have clashed over who is responsible for the deadlock: the Opposition has accused the government and Shah of evading Parliament, while the BJP has countered that it is the Opposition which is unwilling to engage despite the Home Minister’s offer, the report added.
- Shah's request: Consult the Opposition and allocate time, starting immediately, for a debate on NEET protests.
- Government position: Prepared to answer all questions and participate in the discussion; Rijiju had agreed at the Business Advisory Committee to discuss student protests.
- Opposition stance: Demanding Shah's resignation and continued to press the issue, leading to repeated disruptions in the House.
Implications for parliamentary business
The letter formalises an offer by the Home Minister to enter the Parliament round of debate on a politically sensitive subject that has triggered mass protests across the country. If the Speaker consults the Opposition and a time slot is allotted, the move could open a path to substantive debate in the Lok Sabha; conversely, failure to reach an agreement on time allocation would likely prolong disruptions to other legislative business.
Shah’s reference to prior agreement at the Business Advisory Committee and to the amendment bill indicates the government’s attempt to place the matter within the formal scheduling mechanisms of the House. How the Opposition responds to the Speaker’s overture and whether leaders will agree on timing remain open and will determine whether the session can move beyond the present impasse.
The report did not provide further details on the Opposition’s immediate response to Shah’s letter or on any timeline proposed by the Speaker for consultations. Parliamentary practice gives the Speaker discretion to consult parties and apportion time; outcomes will depend on those consultations and on whether the two sides agree to a structured debate.
