No debate but ruckus over Manipur on 2nd day

New Delhi: Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned for the second day in a row on Friday following vociferous protests over the Manipur violence by opposition MPs, demanding a statement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue, evoking a sharp reaction from Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who accused the protesting members of not being serious about the discussion on Manipur.

The government said it was ready for a debate in both Houses with a response from the Home Minister, but the opposition remained adamant on their demand for a statement by the Prime Minister in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha followed by a debate without any time restriction. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla also told the protesting members that sloganeering will not bring any solution to the problem but only dialogue and discussion can.

The Monsoon session of Parliament started on Thursday, a day after a horrific video of two women being sexually assaulted and paraded by a mob on May 4 in a Manipur village went viral, triggering a nationwide outrage. Soon after the House met, members of opposition parties including the Congress, left and DMK, were on their feet raising slogans "Manipur is bleeding".

With the opposition members refusing to stop their sloganeering, Birla said, "You don't want the House to function, you don't want the Question Hour to take place. All other members want the House to run. This is not good. The solution can be found only through discussions" and added that it "seems you just don't want any discussion".

As the opposition members remained unrelenting, Birla asked the Defence Minister to speak.

Singh, who is also the deputy leader of the House, said the Manipur situation should be taken seriously and the seriousness of the government was reflected when the Prime Minister commented that the entire country was feeling ashamed over the Manipur incidents. As the opposition did not relent, the speaker adjourned the proceedings till noon.

When Lok Sabha reassembled, opposition members trooped into the well, raising slogans and demanding a reply from the Prime Minister and his presence in the House. Rajendra Agrawal, who was in the Chair, asked members to return to their seats for a discussion on this sensitive issue to be held, but the sloganeering continued. Members also displayed placards as part of their protests.

Asserting that the government was ready for a debate, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi said,”The entire country is concerned about the Manipur situation… we are equally concerned.” As the protests continued Agarwal adjourned the proceedings for the day.

In the Rajya Sabha too, the proceedings were disrupted for the second day as opposition MPs created ruckus over the Manipur violence and other issues.

The upper house was first adjourned in the morning till 2 PM over the Manipur issue and the opposition raising objections to the Chair expunging certain words from the record.