Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday, 10 August declared that the Opposition is pressing Parliament to take up two unresolved controversies — police action against NEET protesters and the alleged theft of donations at the Ram Temple — insisting the government has sufficient time to address both before the Monsoon Session closes in two days.

Government Signals Movement on NEET Issue

The remarks came as the government signalled a partial concession on one of the two demands. Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju told the Lok Sabha on Monday that Union Home Minister Amit Shah would make a statement in the House on the police action during the 20 July protest by NEET aspirants. The Opposition, however, has insisted that a ministerial statement alone does not constitute the full parliamentary discussion it has sought.

What Akhilesh Yadav Said

Speaking to reporters, Yadav said: 'The Opposition has been demanding from the very first day that the Home Minister should make a statement and that the government should give its response. But the government is not ready. Even with only two days left, the government still has time to discuss both issues.'

On the Ram Temple donation controversy, Yadav questioned whether ruling party figures bore any responsibility. 'It is not a normal matter that donations offered to Lord Ram have been stolen. The faith of crores of people has been hurt. The devotees who gave donations, offerings and contributions with such deep faith and sincerity — was the government or BJP people involved in it?' he asked.

The Kannauj MP also challenged the government's reluctance to allow a floor debate on the matter. 'They have formed governments not once, but several times, by playing with people's faith and devotion. Why does the government not want a discussion on this issue?' he said.

NEET Protest and Police Action

Yadav broadened the framing of the NEET grievance, arguing the protest was not confined to medical aspirants alone. 'And the second issue is the lathi-charge on young people and the way the children, youth and students were humiliated. They were not only NEET aspirants. Along with NEET students, all those who appeared for examinations across the country and in Uttar Pradesh, including those who could not take their exams because of paper leaks, were present there,' he said.

This is not the first time the NEET controversy has roiled Parliament this session. Opposition parties have repeatedly stalled proceedings demanding accountability over alleged question-paper leaks and the subsequent crackdown on demonstrators who gathered in protest on 20 July.

Opposition's Broader Demand

The dual demand — on the NEET crackdown and the Ram Temple donation theft — reflects the Opposition's strategy of linking law-and-order accountability with what it frames as a breach of religious trust. Critics argue that with only two sitting days remaining in the Monsoon Session, the government's willingness to allow a substantive discussion, rather than a one-sided ministerial statement, will be the real test. Parliament is expected to continue pressure on both issues when it reconvenes for the next session.