Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday urged the Opposition members in Lok Sabha to permit a discussion in the House, emphasising the need for the “country to know the truth”. However, the Opposition remained firm in their demand for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make a statement regarding the ethnic strife in Manipur.
The Lower House was engulfed in chaos as Opposition MPs brandished placards bearing the message “India stands for the people of Manipur” and chanted “Modi-Sarkar down-down”, resulting in multiple adjournments.
Amid the turmoil, Leader of the Congress in the House Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury was briefly allowed to speak, and he insisted that the Prime Minister should provide a “suo moto statement in the House”.
Speaker Om Birla struggled to maintain order amid the slogan-shouting before adjourning the session until 12 noon, then again till 2 pm, and finally, for the day.
In the afternoon, when the House resumed its proceedings, Union Home Minister appealed to the Opposition to “allow discussion on the sensitive subject”. He stressed the importance of cooperation from all members to discuss the critical issue at hand.
“I am ready for discussion on this in the House. I request the Opposition to let a discussion take place on this issue. It is important that the country gets to know the truth on this sensitive matter,” said Shah.
Regarding the Opposition’s demand for the Prime Minister’s statement, the Speaker assured them that the Home Minister would actively participate in the discussion. “Galat parampara mat daliye,” he asserted.
Despite the Opposition’s continuous sloganeering, the proceedings were brought to a close by Speaker Birla, adjourning the House for the day. Once again, the Lok Sabha failed to conduct vital business, with over 30 Bills on the agenda for the ongoing Monsoon Session.
Earlier in the day, Birla proceeded with the Question Hour, during which Union Ministers Bhupendra Yadav, Arjun Munda, and Nirmala Sitharaman responded to queries from members on various issues, amidst the noisy scenes.
Addressing the Manipur violence, the Speaker expressed hope in finding a solution through negotiations. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh urged the Opposition benches to “participate in the debate,” assuring that the Government is prepared for discussions on the situation.
“A solution could come only through discussions. I am accepting your request. I am ready for the discussion, but let the Question Hour be continued first. People have not sent you here for sloganeering or showing placards. The Government will take action on the outcome of the debate. Don’t you want a debate?” Birla questioned the Opposition members.
The Speaker reassured the members of adequate time to raise their concerns but only after the completion of the Question Hour. He suggested that the debate could start after 12 noon, respecting the fixed time for the Question Hour from 11 a.m., during which crucial matters are addressed and receive replies from the Government.
“The whole House is ready for the discussion, and the Government will reply to the debate too. But you will not decide who will reply to the debate,” the Speaker asserted.
The House managed to run for approximately 27 minutes before being adjourned until 12 noon, then again till 2 pm, and finally, for the day.
The Manipur violence had a profound impact on the proceedings in both Houses of Parliament during the first two days of the Monsoon session. The Opposition vigorously demanded a statement from Prime Minister Modi and a comprehensive discussion on the alarming situation in the violence-torn northeastern state. Reports of widespread killings, gruesome disrobing, and rape of women, with the videos going viral, have triggered nationwide outrage.
The Monsoon Session commenced soon after a video clip surfaced, showing two women being paraded naked by a mob in a Manipur village on May 4, fueling public anger and raising urgent concerns over the state of affairs in the region.
