Manipur Violence: Both Houses Adjourned Again as Opp Demands Statement from PM
Leaders of the INDIA alliance parties stage a protest over ethnic violence in Manipur during Monsoon session of Parliament, in New Delhi, Monday, July 24, 2023. Image Courtesy: PTI Photo/Shahbaz Khan
New Delhi: The Lok Sabha was adjourned till 2 p.m and Rajya Sabha till noon following protests by the Opposition which has been demanding a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Parliament on the Manipur issue.
When the Lok Sabha met at 11 am, Speaker Om Birla announced that a Parliamentary delegation from Malawi is visiting India and they were watching the proceedings of the House. He welcomed the foreign delegation and wished them a pleasant stay in the country.
As he completed his speech, the Opposition members were on their feet demanding a statement from the prime minister on Manipur violence.
Soon they came to the well of the House showing placards and shouting slogans against the government. The speaker initially ignored their protests and continued the Question Hour, which was the scheduled business.
Two questions related to the Ministries of Education and Finance were taken up for discussion amidst sloganeering and protests. As the protests continued, the speaker appealed to the opposition members to go back to their seats and take part in the proceedings.
With the Opposition MPs ignoring his pleas, the speaker adjourned the House till 2 p.m after about 15 minutes of business.
The Manipur violence rocked proceedings in both Houses of Parliament ever since the Monsoon session began on July 20, with the Opposition demanding a statement from Prime Minister Modi and a discussion on the situation in the northeastern state.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said that the government was ready for a debate on the Manipur issue.
The Speaker had also said the Opposition can't decide who would reply to the debate on behalf of the government.
The Opposition subsequently moved a no-confidence motion against the Modi government, apparently aiming to force the prime minister to speak on the Manipur violence in Parliament.
The session started a day after a video of two women being paraded naked by a mob on May 4 in a Manipur village went viral, triggering a nationwide outrage.
On July 27, the government decided to hand over the probe into the case of the naked parade of two women to the CBI and filed a petition in the Supreme Court saying the trial of the cases should be conducted outside the state.
RS Adjourned Till Noon, Opp Demands Discussion Under Rule 267
The government on Monday agreed to a discussion on the Manipur issue in the Rajya Sabha at 2 p.m but the Opposition insisted on a debate only under Rule 267 of the House, forcing the chairman to adjourn proceedings till noon.
Rule 267 of the Rajya Sabha rulebook allows for the suspension of the day's business to debate on any issue suggested by a member.
After the papers were laid, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said he received 65 notices under Rule 267 and also noted that this rule is evoked on the rarest of occasions. The last time it was evoked was in 2018.
Meanwhile, Leader of House Piyush Goyal said the government was ready for a discussion on the Manipur issue at 2 pm but the opposition did not agree.
Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge insisted that the discussion should only be held under Rule 267 of the House.
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