The Congress party has demanded the suspension of all legislative activities in Parliament to initiate an urgent debate on the violent situation in Manipur. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh urged for an early discussion and debate on the issue, specifically requesting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make a statement on the matter which has been ongoing for the past 90 days.
Ramesh tweeted, The Indian National Congress parties stuck to their position in the Rajya Sabha this afternoon. 1. PM must make a statement in the House on what has happened in Manipur over the past 90 days on which he has maintained an eloquent silence.
He further added that there should be a debate and discussion on the matter, with all other business of the House getting suspended until the debate is over. Ramesh clarified that the Congress party is not avoiding a debate, but rather it is PM Modi who is avoiding giving a statement in the Rajya Sabha.
In response, Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha and Union Minister Piyush Goyal accused the opposition MPs of being scared of something, which is why they are avoiding discussions on the Manipur issue. Goyal expressed the ruling party’s willingness to have discussions on the matter and requested the opposition to engage in a 10-day discussion. However, the opposition has been demanding a discussion under Rule 267, which includes voting.
The opposition members have been seeking a discussion under Rule 267 since the beginning of the monsoon session of Parliament on July 20. While Rajya Sabha Chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar permitted a discussion for a short duration on the Manipur situation, the opposition objected to it and insisted on Prime Minister Modi’s presence in Parliament.
Parliament has faced several disruptions since the start of the session, with the opposition demanding a statement from Prime Minister Modi on the Manipur crisis within the House. Last week, the opposition even brought a no-confidence motion in an attempt to compel the Prime Minister to address the Manipur issue.
Despite these efforts, both Houses have consistently adjourned for the day due to slogans and unrest caused by opposition MPs. The ongoing impasse has hindered the functioning of Parliament.
