The proceedings in Parliament were adjourned shortly after the two Houses convened on Wednesday as Opposition MPs demanded a discussion on Monday’s police crackdown on protesters in Delhi.

On Tuesday night, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan accused the Congress and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi of “exploiting students as political tools to manufacture disruption” during the Monsoon Session of Parliament.

His statements came after Rahul Gandhi, along with Congress MP and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav were detained by the Delhi Police as they protested outside the prime minister’s residence. They were released hours later.

The Opposition leaders were demonstrating against the police lathi-charging protesters and firing tear gas shells during the Cockroach Janta Party political campaign’s march to Parliament on Monday. The march was held to demand the resignation of Pradhan for the alleged mismanagement of competitive examinations.

Here’s more on this and other top updates:

Developments on Wednesday

  • Both Houses of Parliament were repeatedly adjourned on Wednesday. This came amid protests by the Opposition demanding discussions on several matters, including the police lathi-charge on Monday. Several MPs wore black clothes as part of their protest.
  • Congress MP KC Venugopal said that the Opposition was “very clear” in its demand that the education minister should resign.
  • Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said that the government was ready to discuss the paper leak matter “as per rules” of the Houses.
  • “When the discussion is to be held, the duration of the discussion and under what rule the discussion is to be held should be decided after speaking with floor leaders of all parties,” he told the Lok Sabha. “There should be a construction discussion for the future of the youth of this country – this is what the government wants.”
  • The Delhi Metro on Wednesday closed 16 stations, mostly in central Delhi, till further instructions, citing “security reasons”.
  • The stations are Lok Kalyan Marg, which is near the prime minister’s residence, Rajiv Chowk located at Connaught Place, and Patel Chowk and Janpath near the Jantar Mantar protest site.
  • Central Secretariat, Seva Teerth, Mandi House, ITO, Ramakrishna Ashram Marg, Barakhambha Road, Supreme Court, Delhi Gate, Indraprastha, Khan Market, Jor Bagh and Shivaji Stadium were the other stations.
  • Interchange facilities remain available at Rajiv Chowk, Mandi House and Central Secretariat.
  • The Supreme Court refused to urgently hear a petition alleging that the police used excessive force against the protesters on Monday. “Don’t waste our time and don’t waste your time,” said Chief Justice Surya Kant. When the petitioner said that he can submit video evidence of police excesses, the bench said that it was “not interested” and did not “have time to watch”. Read more about this here.

Students deserve certainty over chaos, says Pradhan

  • In a social media post on Tuesday night, Pradhan said that the Union government “remains 100% committed” to discussing the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for medical admissions and “addressing every genuine concern of our youth” in Parliament.
  • Criticising the Congress, the education minister said that the students of India “deserve far better than being treated as props in a political campaign”. “They deserve certainty over chaos, solutions over slogans and responsibility over disruption,” he added. “We owe our students more than outrage. We owe them answers, reforms and accountability.”
  • He claimed that despite the Union government agreeing to a “comprehensive discussion”, the Congress “chose political spectacle over democratic debate”. Pradhan further alleged that Rahul Gandhi was “manufacturing confrontation after every genuine avenue for discussion has been opened”.

Opposition leaders released

  • Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Yadav and other Opposition leaders detained during their protest were released by the police late on Tuesday, reported ANI.
  • While Rahul Gandhi had been detained at the Chhatrasal Stadium in North Delhi, Vadra was taken to the Mandir Marg Police Station. Party leader Sonia Gandhi had later arrived at the Mandir Marg Police Station, where other MPs were also detained.

CJP says protesting only at Jantar Mantar

  • After hundreds of persons gathered in central Delhi’s Connaught Place and adjoining areas on Tuesday evening, the Cockroach Janta Party stated that its demonstration was only being held at the designated protest site at Jantar Mantar. The campaign added that it had not given a call for protesters to assemble anywhere else.

  • “We received reports that some goons may have been sent to other parts of Delhi to create nuisance,” stated the campaign’s founder, Abhijeet Dipke. “They are NOT with Cockroach Janta Party.”

  • Meanwhile, Union ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh met with activist Sonam Wangchuk at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram, PTI quoted unidentified officials as saying on Wednesday. Wangchuk, who has been on a hunger strike as part of the Cockroach Janta Party’s protest, was moved to the facility from the Safdarjung Hospital earlier in the day following directions from the Delhi High Court.

Written by Sneha. Edited by Nachiket Deuskar.

Also read: ‘People’s sympathy is now with the youth’: BJP workers worry about crackdown on protests