New Delhi

Ruling NDA and Opposition INDIA bloc MPs came face-to-face near Parliament's Makar Dwar on Thursday -- with security personnel forming a cordon between them -- as they staged protests and raised counter-slogans over police action on job aspirants in Jharkhand and issues surrounding the alleged theft of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

While NDA MPs demanded answers from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and alleged that he was "running away" from a debate on student protests across the country, INDIA bloc MPs demanded accountability from Union Home Minister Amit Shah over alleged police excesses during the July 20 student protests over paper leaks.

The INDIA bloc MPs also raised the issue of alleged theft of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

Before the face-off, the NDA MPs and the INDIA bloc MPs held their respective protests separately.

The NDA MPs sat on the steps of the Makar Dwar and raised slogans against Gandhi and accused him of running away from a debate on student protests in Jharkhand.

Opposition MPs demanded accountability from Shah over alleged police excesses on students during their Parliament march over the NEET paper leak issue.

Carrying placards, the MPs stood in front of the Makar Dwar and raised slogans such as "Amit Shah maafi maango", "chanda chor, gaddi chhorh" and "Chanda chor, kahan milenge, BJP ke daftar mein".

The Opposition MPs, mostly from the Congress, the Samajwadi Party and the TMC, lined up behind a big banner that read "Chanda kisne loota hai?" and raised slogans against the BJP.

INDIA bloc MPs have been protesting for about three weeks, demanding Shah's presence in the House and a statement from him.

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The government's offer for a debate and Shah's reply failed to end the stalemate, with the Congress insisting that the home minister's response should specifically address who ordered the firing of pellets against students.

The Congress had asserted that the demand for a discussion on the alleged theft of funds at the Ram temple is "non-negotiable".