Rijiju, Ramesh's war of words ahead of Parliament session
What's the story
On the day the Parliament session for the newly-elected Lok Sabha began, Bharatiya Janata Party MP and Union Minister Kiren Rijiju and Congress leader Jairam Ramesh engaged in a war of words. On Monday morning, Rijiju posted a welcome message for the members of the 18th Lok Sabha. "I'm positively looking forward for co-ordination to run the house," he said. In response, Ramesh took a swipe at the minister saying, "Actions will speak louder than words...Walk the Talk."
NTA controversy
Ramesh questions Rijiju's praise amid NTA controversy
To this, Rijiju responded, "Absolutely @Jairam_Ramesh Ji. You are an intelligent member and you will be a valuable asset to the house if you contribute positively." The Congress leader doubled down in his response, criticizing the National Testing Agency (NTA) for the irregularities in conducting the NEET and UGC-NET exams. "Thanks Mr. Minister. I hope your certificate of my intelligence is not like the NTA grading. Is it with grace marks?,"Ramesh said.
Twitter Post
You can read the entire exchange in this thread
Thanks Mr. Minister. I hope your certificate of my intelligence is not like the NTA grading. Is it with grace marks? https://t.co/dOe7NLVGkW
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) June 24, 2024
Parliament session
Opposition to hit out at Centre over exam controversy
Fueled by its strong performance in the recent general election, which prevented a BJP majority, the opposition is preparing to confront the ruling party on significant issues. The most important among these is the mismanagement in conducting nationwide competitive exams like NEET (UG and PG) and UGC-NET. Another contentious issue between the government and the opposition is the election of the pro-tem speaker.
New controversy
Pro-tem speaker's appointment appears as contentious issue
Last week, President Droupadi Murmu appointed BJP leader Bhartruhari Mahtab, an MP from Cuttack, as pro-tem speaker. Traditionally, this temporary post is given to the most senior parliament member. The Congress and other opposition parties were expecting Kodikunnil Suresh, an eight-time MP from Kerala and a Dalit leader, to be chosen and have criticized the BJP for selecting Mahtab instead.