Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday offered the Opposition a 24-hour window to hold a discussion in Parliament to break the logjam, saying he was ready to answer all their questions. Shah said he would remain present in the House from 3 pm on Wednesday until 3 pm on Thursday to participate in the discussion.
Speaking to mediapersons outside the Parliament, the home minister exhorted the Opposition parties to submit a letter to the Speaker by 2 pm, following which the discussion could begin at 3 pm. He said he was prepared to continue the debate through the night and remain in the House until 3 pm on Thursday to respond to every issue raised by the Opposition.
"There are established rules and procedures for parliamentary discussions. Such a serious issue cannot be discussed simply through a statement. In Parliament, discussions are held at length," he said, adding that he was even willing to suspend Question Hour if the Lok Sabha Speaker permitted it.
"I am ready for the discussion to go on until 3 PM tomorrow. I will sit through it myself, take notes on everything, and respond to every point," he said, asserting that this would help clarify the matter and reveal the truth before the people of the country.
Shah said the Opposition now had to decide whether it wanted to participate in a detailed parliamentary discussion or create an uproar in the House.
Not interested in Amit Shah's lecture: Rahul Gandhi issues rebuttal
Responding to Amit Shah's remarks, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said the Opposition was not interested in listening to a lecture from the Home Minister and instead wanted answers to questions concerning the treatment of protesting students.
"The Opposition has clearly said that we are not interested in Amit Shah giving us a lecture," Gandhi said, adding that he was speaking on behalf of the younger generation of the country.
Gandhi questioned who had ordered the firing on students and the alleged use of lathis with nails against them. He asked whether Shah had ordered the action and said that if the Home Minister was responsible, he should resign.
"For the last 20 days, Amit Shah has been missing," Gandhi alleged, claiming that the Union Home Minister lacked the courage to appear in Parliament and address the issue.
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