Oppn to PM: Stop insulting Houses, come for comprehensive discussion on Manipur

Seeking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s presence in Parliament, the Opposition on Monday (July 31) asked him to stop “insulting” the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and come to Parliament for a “comprehensive” discussion without any time limits on the Manipur violence.

Congress deputy leader in Rajya Sabha, Pramod Tiwari, said the priority should be to hold a comprehensive and detailed discussion on the Manipur situation in Parliament, going by the fact that people have been killed and the chief minister himself has admitted that several incidents of sexual assault have happened in the state. No one knows how many incidents of rape have happened, he added.

Also read: Manipur issue: RS chairperson says short discussion already listed; House adjourned till 3.30 pm

“The prime minister, who, under Article 75 of the Constitution, is answerable to Parliament — Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha — should come inside Parliament and speak,” Tiwari said. “Can he cite a reason for not coming to Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha even when he is within the country? … When will he stop insulting the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha? This insult is not of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha but of India’s 130 crore people. What is it that he wants to hide?” the Congress leader asked, noting that the prime minister had not spoken a word on Manipur in Parliament.

What facts can be brought out in a two-hour discussion, as Opposition bloc INDIA’s MPs have themselves seen the situation in Manipur and want to put across what they have witnessed, he asked, demanding a detailed discussion in Parliament on the ethnic violence in the northeastern state.

“Remember, Mahabharat was held for one Droupadi, but here the modesty of several Droupadis is being outraged,” he said. In the case of Manipur, the “modesty of a Kargil soldier’s wife is being outraged”, he added.

Also read: Book Excerpt: Prime Minister Narendra Modi cares two hoots about Parliament

“We want a discussion under rule 267, and all other business should be set aside and the prime minister, who knows everything, should come to the House and a discussion without any time limit be held,” the Congress leader said.

TMC leader Derek O’Brien said the prime minister has not come to Parliament for even 20 seconds in the eight days of the Monsoon session so far. “Where is the prime minister of India on day eight of Parliament,” he asked. Manipur situation is a serious issue with all parties asking for a discussion under the emergency rule by suspending all other business, but no discussion is being held, he said.

“Why can’t the prime minister come? We are all ready to discuss Manipur,” O’Brien said. He said the INDIA delegation went to Manipur after a Congress delegation under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi went there, besides some other parties that saw the ground situation in the state.

“We want to discuss Manipur under an emergency rule, not a toast-and-butter rule of 176. A 1.5-hour or two-hour discussion is not done. That is toast-and-butter rule; we want a full-meal discussion on Manipur. Mister Prime Minister, who the hell do you think you are? Pandit Nehru came and spoke in Rajya Sabha on a serious subject and participated in the debate,” the TMC leader said.

Also read: Opposition parties forming ‘Protection of Dynasties Alliance’: Nadda

Former prime ministers Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh came to Rajya Sabha to discuss issues; even Rajiv Gandhi had to came and discussed Bofors when he was falsely accused. He had the guts to come and discuss Bofors in the Rajya Sabha, O’Brien said.

“Mr Prime Minister, you are so arrogant. You have a heart of stone. The women and children of Manipur, the people of Manipur are suffering. They don’t want a Maggi noodles of two minutes… two-hour discussion. We want a full-fledged discussion under emergency rule 267. Bring that and start the discussion at 2 pm. Do not mislead the young people of India, do not mislead them,” he said.

Both houses of Parliament on Monday were adjourned amid uproar after Opposition members insisted on a detailed discussion on the Manipur violence. The Opposition MPs have been demanding a discussion after setting aside all business and for the prime minister to come to Parliament and make a statement on Manipur in both Houses.

(With agency inputs)