No breakthrough as Opposition stands firm on Manipur

The Monsoon Session of Parliament reconvened on Monday on a rocky start as the INDIA Opposition alliance hardened its stance on the Manipur violence with demands of a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the matter while the BJP held a protest in front of the Gandhi statue in the Parliament premises over the deteriorating law and order situation in Congress-ruled state of Rajasthan.

Chaos ensued during the second day of the session on Friday as Opposition parties engaged in sloganeering regarding the Manipur violence and demanded a statement from PM Modi on the matter. The government has agreed to hold a short-duration discussion on the Manipur issue with the Home Minister replying to it, but the opposition is adamant on its demand for the prime minister’s statement first.

As soon as the Lok Sabha proceedings began, Opposition Leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury stated, “We have been raising this issue from the beginning, urging the Prime Minister to come to the house and give a suo moto statement.” The Speaker responded, stating, “The entire house is ready to start the discussion at 12, but who will respond will not be decided by you.” In response, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, “We are ready, but the opposition is not ready to accept.” Meanwhile, slogans were raised in the lower house.

AAP MP Raghav Chadha had filed a suspension of business notice in Parliament to discuss the breakdown of law and order in Manipur. “The country demands that the government and PM Modi should speak on the issue of Manipur. It is the responsibility of the Central government to restore peace in the country. Today, we are going to protest against this issue in Parliament. The Rajya Sabha Chairman should allow us to discuss the Manipur issue.”

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said the Prime Minister must address the issue in the parliament and a discussion should take place to express a collective sense of pain and desire for reconciliation. “The 3rd day of Monsoon session of Parliament begins today. INDIA’s demand is straightforward. PM should make a comprehensive statement on the horrific post-May 3 developments in Manipur, after which a discussion would take place to express our collective sense of pain, anguish and desire for reconciliation,” he said in a tweet. “No 5D drama that PM does to escape responsibility in such situations: He denies, ‘distorts’, diverts, deflects and ‘defames’. Will he rise to the occasion? Manipur is waiting. The nation is watching,” the Congress general secretary added.

Congress MP Manish Tewari also supported the demands and said, “The Prime Minister should make a comprehensive statement in both Houses of the Parliament and it should be followed by a debate.”

INDIA Opposition alliance also held protest in Parliament demanding PM Modi’s statement on Manipur in both houses

Several opposition leaders have submitted notices for an adjournment motion to discuss the situation in Manipur. The opposition is demanding an unrestricted debate that allows all parties to express their views without time limitations. Since the Monsoon Session commenced on Thursday, the opposition has been holding protests on this matter.

In response, the government has accused the opposition of evading a crucial debate on the issue and questioned their commitment to addressing it. On the other hand, the opposition has accused the government of also shying away from a debate on the subject.

As a result of the ongoing stalemate between the opposition and the government over the Manipur issue, both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have been unable to conduct any legislative business.

With inputs from News18

The post No breakthrough as Opposition stands firm on Manipur first appeared on IPA Newspack.