New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi made his debut intervention in the Lok Sabha as the leader of the Opposition on Friday, while his Rajya Sabha counterpart, Mallikarjun Kharge, entered the Well, a rare move for someone in his position. Both leaders focused on a single agenda: urging the government and presiding officers to discuss the irregularities in the NEET-UG medical entrance test and alleged paper leaks affecting several national-level exams.

The presiding officers of both Houses rejected the INDIA bloc’s demand, denying notices for an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha and notices moved under Rule 267 in the Rajya Sabha. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar suggested that members could raise the NEET controversy during their interventions on the motion of thanks to the President’s address. Consequently, the Lok Sabha adjourned early, while the Rajya Sabha continued after the Opposition's walkout in protest, joined by the BJD.

When allowed to speak briefly after the Lok Sabha assembled in the morning, Rahul Gandhi emphasized the need for a dedicated discussion on NEET to show respect for the affected students. However, his microphone was switched off shortly after he began speaking. Congress member K.C. Venugopal expressed frustration outside Parliament, noting that Rahul was not allowed to speak for even a minute.

Before the session, Rahul Gandhi told reporters that NEET was the most important issue and should be prioritized for discussion. Inside the House, after Rahul was stopped from speaking, Opposition members rushed into the Well, chanting slogans and prompting an adjournment till noon. Protests resumed when the House reconvened, with Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi highlighting the urgency of the students' plight.

In the Rajya Sabha, tensions rose as Mallikarjun Kharge entered the Well, prompting Chairman Dhankhar to call it a “tainted day in the history of Indian Parliament.” Amid the chaos, Congress MP Phulo Netam Devi fainted and was rushed to the hospital. Kharge later told reporters that he entered the Well to draw the Chairman's attention, who had turned away from the Opposition benches.

Congress Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh contested Chairman Dhankar’s claim that an LoP had never entered the Well before. He recalled that on August 5, 2019, the then Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad, sat on the steps leading to the Chairman’s seat during the introduction of Bills to abolish Article 370 and downgrade the status of J&K from a state to a Union Territory. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju stated that there was no tradition of discussing anything other than the motion of thanks after the President’s address. He laid the papers while Opposition members demanded an immediate discussion on NEET and paper leaks.

Despite the Opposition's efforts, the demand for an immediate discussion on the NEET controversy was denied. The rejection led to protests and walkouts, highlighting the ongoing tension between the government and the Opposition over addressing the concerns of students affected by examination irregularities.