New Delhi:- Union Minister of State Dr. Jitendra Singh introduced the Anti-Paper Leak Bill in the Rajya Sabha. Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge initiated the debate on the Bill. Kharge said that this was the first time in 12 years that an Education Minister had resigned.
He alleged that the government failed to listen to students over the paper leak issue and the protests that followed. According to him, BJP President J.P. Nadda invited the students for talks only later. Had this happened earlier, students would not have had to face a lathi charge. During his speech, Kharge referred to the Manusmriti, triggering a massive uproar in the House. Due to the disruption, Question Hour could not proceed and the Rajya Sabha was adjourned until 3 p.m.

**Controversy Over Manusmriti
A controversy erupted in the Rajya Sabha after Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge made remarks about the Manusmriti. Kharge alleged that the Manusmriti promotes casteism in the field of education, a claim that was strongly opposed by the Treasury Benches.
As soon as Kharge made the allegation, the House witnessed loud protests. Opposition MPs raised slogans demanding an apology, while members of the ruling party objected to Kharge's remarks.
Kharge said that question papers of 152 examinations had been leaked over the past few years, yet not a single person had been punished. He questioned what the government was doing and whether the agencies were asleep. He stressed that education is not the privilege of a select few and alleged that the RSS had taken control of educational institutions. He further said that education should receive six percent of the total Budget, whereas it currently gets less than three percent.
Targeting the government, Kharge said, "You say universities should have good teachers and good Vice-Chancellors, but the syllabus you are introducing includes that if a Shudra listens to the Vedas, molten lead and zinc should be poured into his ears. If he chants Vedic mantras, his tongue should be cut off. This is the RSS syllabus. I condemn such ideas. Such material should be removed from the syllabus. RSS members are being appointed in universities. The UPA government enacted the Right to Education Act to ensure equal education for all."

**Authenticate the Original Text of Manusmriti
Leader of the House J.P. Nadda said that, to the best of his knowledge, the Opposition leader's remarks were factually incorrect. He demanded that the original text of the Manusmriti be authenticated. As Sudhanshu Trivedi began speaking, the Chairman interrupted him.
Sudhanshu Trivedi referred to writings by former Calcutta High Court judge William Jones, a book by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, and several other sources while reiterating the demand for authentication.
Displaying a book, Pramod Tiwari said, "This book was published during their tenure, is currently in circulation, and has not been banned. If they are making these claims and showing this book, then the mistake is theirs. Their government has been in power for 12 years."
J.P. Nadda insisted on producing the original pre-British text, stating that such remarks create unrest. Following this, the Chairman announced that Kharge's remarks relating to the Manusmriti would be expunged from the official records of the House.