Manipur violence highlights: Opposition MPs plan overnight protest in parliament complex for PM statement

An organisation linked to West Bengal's ruling TMC on Monday took out a rally here to protest against the violence in Manipur and blamed the BJP-led governments in the northeastern state and at the Centre for the ethnic conflict, PTI reported.

The protest rally was organised by Trinamool Jai Hind Bahini - a socio-political outfit formed by TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in 2019.

Activists of the organisation started the rally from Hazra crossing and reached Rabindra Sadan, covering a distance of around 5 km in the southern part of the city.

A 'fact-finding team' of the BJP on Monday visited violence-hit areas in West Bengal's Howrah district, accusing the TMC of unleashing terror in the state, prompting a sharp retort from the ruling camp, asking it to send teams to saffron party ruled Manipur, which is affected by ethnic violence.

A five-member team led by BJP MP Vinod Sonkar visited parts of Amta in Howrah district.

“We met victims of violence (during panchayat elections). Even women were not spared by the goons of the TMC. The law and order situation has completely collapsed in the state. West Bengal is the only state where so many people got killed during panchayat polls,” he said, PTI reported.

The Congress on Monday said the violence in Manipur was a "big and international" issue and there was a need to discuss it in Parliament with all seriousness, PTI reported.

Reiterating their demand for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement in Parliament over the Manipur situation, Congress leaders Shaktisinh Gohil and Gaurav Gogoi said in a press conference that the matter should not be treated like an ordinary law-and-order issue.

Rajya Sabha MP and Shiv Sena Party (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Monday opposed the suspension of Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh for the remainder of the Monsoon Session of Parliament for “repeatedly violating” the Chair’s directives and asked for ‘taking it back’.

The Parliamentarian said that there was no need for suspension as he was just trying to raise the issue in front of the Chairman.

“Take the suspension back. What is the need for suspension? He was just trying to raise the issue in front of the Chairman. Prime Minister holds responsibility for this major issue. He’s a world leader, just come for 10 minutes and discuss the issue. You (PM Modi) do not believe in Democracy and Opposition,” the senior politician said while speaking to ANI.

The Nationalist Congress Party's Sharad Pawar faction on Monday held a "maun satyagraha" (silent protest) in Maharashtra's Latur city against the ethnic violence in Manipur, PTI reported.

Hundreds of party workers sported black ribbons on their arms and gathered at Gandhi Chowk as part of the silent protest headed by the party's city-district president Raja Maniyar.

Union Minister Smriti Irani says, "Congress is running away from discussion on Manipur as they know they will have to answer on crimes against women in their states but I want to appeal that stop using crime against women as instruments to settle political scores...," ANI reported.

In an appeal to the Prime Minister, the Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said that the "heavens will not fall" if he comes to the House and gives a statement on Manipur.

"The heavens will not fall if the Prime Minister comes to the House for a discussion on Manipur, given the seriousness of the matter," Chowdhury said, speaking to ANI.

Opposition leaders plan overnight protest in Parliament complex against to press for PM Modi's statement on Manipur.

"We ask, how many voices will you SILENCE? How many MPs will you unjustly SUSPEND? The truth is crystal clear, and PM Modi’s ineptitude and negligence are glaringly evident to everyone!" the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) tweeted on Monday.

The Rajasthan assembly on Monday passed a resolution urging the central government to take steps to contain incidents of violence in Manipur and restore peace, PTI reported.

Women lawyers of the District Bar Association here on Monday wore black badges in protest against increasing violence against women in the country, especially in Manipur, and sought the intervention of President Droupadi Murmu.

Led by lawyer Vinita Kalindi, the women lawyers also made their male counterparts wear black badges to express solidarity against increasing attacks on women in Manipur.

“Atrocities against women in Manipur, Rajasthan, West Bengal or any part of the country should not be tolerated. Continuing violence in Manipur is a matter of concern,” the lawyers said, PTI reported.

"As the situation in Manipur continues to be serious and worrisome, it is natural that its side effects and migration will fall on the neighbouring states as well, due to the lack of discussion in the Parliament, the situation is aggravating. It is necessary to restore peace, protect people and make life normal in the area by applying ointment on their wounds," BSP chief Mayawati said in a tweet in Hindi.

Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned till Tuesday after protests by the Opposition leaders continued over demand for PM's statement in the Parliament even as Amit Shah reiterated that the government was ready to discuss the issue.

Asked about the opposition's demand that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should make a statement on Manipur, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor told reporters outside Parliament, "I think this is an understandable point of view (from opposition's perspective). The biggest issue facing the nation today is that a state of ours is burning, there are already consequences for the neighbouring state of Mizoram. We are looking at a situation of such great importance that no one less than the chief executive of the government can speak on it to begin with after which the home minister and others can play their part," PTI reported.

"The prime minister saw fit to speak to the media outside Parliament when Parliament is in session, that is not acceptable. The prime minister is accountable to Parliament, that is the whole logic of parliamentary democracy," he said.

Manipur police on Monday said 14 people have been identified from a video of two women who were stripped and paraded and action has been initiated to arrest them, PTI reported.

Police have already arrested six people in connection with the viral video of the incident on May 4 in Kangpokpi district.

"The incident that happened in Manipur is very unfortunate. I condemn it," says Assam Minister Atul Bora on Manipur crisis.

(PTI)

The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) has said the resolution adopted by the European Parliament on July 13 on the Manipur violence was guided by wrong and misleading perspective.

The Imphal Valley-based civil society organisation pointed out that the recent violence which erupted in Manipur was not on religious lines.

A letter by COCOMI to European Parliament president Roberta Metsola said, “Your resolutions were guided by wrong and misleading perspective which made you arrive at a flawed understanding of the issue in Manipur as a conflict between Christian minority and majority Meitei Hindu”.

The civil society has asked the European Parliament not to let Manipur become the “new Golden Triangle” of drug trade by projecting the violence between what it called “immigrant Chin-Kuki narco- terrorists” and Meitei people as a religious conflict.

(PTI)

Days after a video of the incident in which two women were paraded naked in Manipur surfaced, civil rights activist Irom Sharmila Chanu has appealed to the Central government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in the strife-torn state "with a right approach".

Chanu who hails from Manipur and now lives in Bengaluru had been on a hunger strike for 16 years against Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).

"I want to appeal that we all are human beings. What is the need for all such hatred? As humans, we own nothing while living and can't take anything from this world when we die...We depend on each other as we are social animals so let us be humans first," the 51-year-old Chanu said.

(ANI)

Opposition wanted a discussion on Manipur and the government agreed to it. Now, what is their problem if the issue (atrocities against women) is discussed in totality?, Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal in Parliament.

(ANI)

On Manipur issue, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut says, “Can't we raise our voice and question the govt in the Parliament after women in Manipur are being murdered, raped and paraded naked? We want to know what the govt has done and what is the role of the Prime Minister.”

(ANI)

Opposition parties (I.N.D.I.A) protest in Parliament demanding PM Modi's statement on Manipur in both houses.

Women at Akampat relief camp raise slogans, demanding return to their homes in Churachandpur and Moreh in ethnic strife-hit Manipur.

"We also want the House to function and we want the PM to answer (on the Manipur situation). We don't want any ruckus to be created in the Parliament," says Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi on Manipur crisis.

(PTI)

An FIR has been registered by the Manipur Police against unidentified people for allegedly circulating a picture of a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) functionary and his son and claiming that they were directly involved in parading two women naked in the northeastern state on May 4.

The picture was posted by some people on social media platforms, including Twitter and Facebook.

In a statement on Sunday, the Manipur Police said its Cyber Crime Police Station (CCPS) had received "a report from a functionary of a political party that a picture of him and his son, collaged with a screenshot of the viral video of two women paraded, along with a caption that they were directly involved in the crime, was uploaded on various social media platforms".

(PTI)

AAP MP Raghav Chadha gives suspension of business notice in Parliament to discuss the breakdown of law and order in the state of Manipur.