Parliament Monsoon Session: MPs from opposition parties move notices seeking discussion on Manipur situation

Amid disruptions in the Parliament since the beginning of the Monsoon session, opposition parties are gearing up to criticize the Centre over the Manipur issue. On Monday, Congress and other party MPs, including AAP, took action by submitting notices in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, seeking discussions on the situation in the violence-hit state.

Ranjeet Ranjan, the Congress MP, has initiated a Suspension of Business Notice in Rajya Sabha under Rule 267. She has called for a discussion on the “persistent failure of both the Union and Manipur Government in resolving the issues and facilitating the peace process and grave matter of atrocities against women resulting from the ongoing violence in Manipur.”

In addition, Manoj Kumar Jha of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Binoy Viswam of the Communist Party of India (CPI), Tiruchi Siva of the Democratic Progressive Party, and Sanjay Singh and Raghav Chaddha of the Aam Aadmi Party have requested a suspension of business in the Upper House in order to debate the Manipur situation.

It should be noted that earlier in the day, Congress Lok Sabha MPs Manickam Tagore and Manish Tewari proposed adjournment motion notices to discuss the situation in the northeastern state, with the latter requesting to suspend Zero Hour, Question Hour, and other activities of the day to have a discussion regarding “ongoing ethnic clashes.”

Chaos in the Parliament Monsoon Session over the Manipur Violence

Commencing on July 20, the Monsoon session saw chaos over the Manipur violence, as the opposition insisted on Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing the matter “within the House and not externally.”

Anurag Thakur, the Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting, attacked the opposition earlier on Sunday, accusing it of trying to avoid participating in parliamentary procedures. While speaking to the media, Thakur said, “The government is ready for the discussion on Manipur but the opposition is avoiding the same. They are also running away from the proceedings of the parliament. What is their compulsion? They want to remain in the limelight but do not want to be in the discussion”.

The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), a coalition of opposition parties, will protest today in front of Parliament during Monsoon Session. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has also organised a demonstration against it in response to the atrocities committed against women in Rajasthan and West Bengal, among other places, in front of the Gandhi statue on the premises of the Parliament.

A second incident involving two tribal women being stripped naked, tormented, and beaten up in West Bengal led to a verbal exchange between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Trinamool Congress at the same time the recent Manipur video infuriated the nation.

Monsoon Session: Opposition raises Manipur, BJP brings up Crimes against women in Bengal and Rajasthan

In protest of the violence against women in Bengal, BJP Bengal MPs earlier conducted a sit-in in front of the Gandhi statue on July 20. While the Rajasthan BJP protested on July 21 in front of the Gandhi statue over the horrific murders that had occurred in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, as well as the ongoing violence against women.

On Friday, the BJP launched an attack against the Trinamool Congress- and Congress-ruled administrations in West Bengal and Rajasthan for their track records on crimes against women.

At a press conference, BJP MP Locket Chatterjee sobbed as she questioned whether atrocities against women in these States would only draw attention if there were viral videos documenting such instances.

Union Minister Gajendra Shekhawat emphasized comparable crimes against women in Rajasthan during a separate press briefing. Meanwhile, the opposition persistently calls for a House discussion on the Manipur violence and the viral video showing the severe mistreatment of women in the region.

The I.N.D.I.A. floor leaders today will be meeting Mallikarjun Kharge, the leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha, in Parliament to plan their strategy for the House’s Monsoon Session, sources revealed on Saturday.

During the second day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, the Manipur situation took center stage, as the Opposition insisted on the Centre addressing the matter. On Friday, both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha faced adjournment for the day due to the Manipur issue. The Opposition MPs declined the government’s proposal for a short-duration discussion, resulting in no substantial business conducted on Thursday and Friday.