New Delhi: Both Houses of Parliament were disrupted Monday after many adjournments and tumultuous scenes over the Opposition’s demand for a larger discussion on the destructive unrest in Manipur.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah told Lok Sabha in the afternoon that the government was ready for a discussion. “I request the Opposition to let a discussion take place on this issue. It is important that the country knows the truth on this sensitive matter,” Shah said.
The unrelenting Opposition parties, however, wanted Manipur to be discussed under Rule 267, which means the suspension of all businesses to talk about a specific matter.
The government, on the other hand, wants to dwell on it for a shorter period of time, under Rule 176. Opposition parties have rejected this proposal.
Opposition legislators have also demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi speak on the issue, but the Centre has chosen the Home Minister instead as its mouthpiece.
News agency PTI reported that Shah and BJP chief J.P. Nadda met Modi in his Parliament office Monday amid the logjam, but said organisational matters were also on the agenda.
In Rajya Sabha, Aam Aadmi Party legislator Sanjay Singh was suspended by chairman Jagdeep Dhankar for the raimining of the Monsoon Session for “repeatedly violating” the directions of the Chair. Dhankar received 27 notices under Rule 267 Monday to discuss Manipur.
On his suspension, Sanjay Singh said the Prime Minister was silent even though “the wife of a Kargil warrior was paraded naked”. “The country’s Army, its 140 crore people are ashamed of this, yet the Prime Minister is not ready to come to the House. We will continue our protest at the Gandhi statue (in the Parliament complex),” Singh said.
Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, said the “sky will not fall if the Prime Minister comes to the House for a discussion on Manipur, given the seriousness of the matter”.
He added that the whole world was talking about Manipur – “from Europe to the US”. “This is not a matter of the Home Ministry alone but that of the entire country. So, we suggest the PM himself come to the House,” Chowdhury said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi questioned the government’s failure in controlling the situation in Manipur and said Prime Minister Modi should speak on the issue in Parliament. “It has been more than 80 days and violence is still not decreasing… Isn’t the PM answerable? He gave a 36-second statement outside Parliament, but he is not addressing the Parliament. Why has the chief minister not been sacked yet? Why has the home minister failed in controlling the situation? Why is the Women and Child Development Minister not visiting Manipur,” she asked.
Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge accused the government of being insensitive. “Our demand is that the PM make a statement in the House. We are ready to discuss that statement. You are speaking outside but not inside, this is an insult to Parliament,” he said.
Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi said at a press conference in the evening that the BJP was shielding the Prime Minister from speaking in Parliament and merely wanted a symbolic discussion on Manipur. “They want to treat Manipur as an ordinary law and order issue. They want a regular discussion which can be curtailed at any time by the Chairman or the Speaker. Instead of a broad-based discussion… (not allowing) us to ask the Prime Minister why he has not visited Manipur, why he is allowing this (state) government to continue… we won’t be allowed to raise this before him and hear his answers,” Gogoi said.
VIDEO | "BJP is shielding the PM from speaking in the Parliament and wants to merely have a symbolic discussion (on Manipur). They are treating Manipur situation as ordinary law and order problem," says Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi. pic.twitter.com/iTux5cPJF8
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 24, 2023
The Monsoon Session, which began on 20 July, will continue till 11 August.
Also read: AAP MP Sanjay Singh suspended from Rajya Sabha for entire monsoon session