Opposition playing politics over Manipur issue: Arjun Ram Meghwal

Union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on Saturday slammed the opposition for “playing politics” over the Manipur violence issue, saying these parties do not want a debate on this matter in Parliament.

He also said what action has been taken pertaining to the Manipur issue will be known when discussion takes place in Parliament on the no-confidence motion brought by the opposition.

The Union Minister of State for Law and Justice further said that had the opposition allowed discussion in Parliament, the country would have come to know what kind of actions have been taken by the government in the matter.

“But the opposition does not want the debate in Parliament,” he alleged while addressing the media here on the sidelines of an international conference on Environmental Laws and Constitutional Rights: A global perspective.

“We took all types of actions. The Union Home Minister stayed there for three days. It is not that such incidents did not take place in Manipur earlier. The home minister in the Congress government never went there (to Manipur),” Meghwal said.

He also hit out at the opposition for seeking a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Manipur issue when Home Minister Amit Shah was ready to give a reply in Parliament.

“They are only playing politics and they should not do politics on the matter,” he said while replying to a question on the Manipur visit of a 21-MP delegation of the Opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).

Replying to a question on the surfacing of the May 4 video showing two women from one of the warring communities being paraded naked, Meghwal asked, “Dont you think it was a conspiracy? Why did it not come out earlier?” “Whenever a (Parliament) session starts, such conspiracy takes place because they (opposition) do not want any debate in Parliament. If they agree for a debate, then it will be known when incidents took place in the past. When (then) Home Minister visited. They will then be exposed,” he said.

A no-confidence motion by the Congress against the government has been admitted in Lok Sabha.

Asked about the Uniform Civil Code, Meghwal said, “I think more than one crore suggestions have been received so far by the Law Commission from every place including cities, villages, tribal areas and from every section.” To a question on pendency of court cases, he said it is a matter of concern for all.

He said a total of 4.40 crore cases are pending in courts, adding, “We are focusing on how to reduce the pendency.” He spoke about an alternative disposal system like arbitration, mediation and conciliation.

Meghwal further said the government has given a proposal of e-courts which the judiciary has accepted.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Federal staff and is auto-published from a syndicated feed.)