Lok Sabha adjourned till Monday after Opposition uproar over Manipur issue

Requesting Opposition members to not disrupt the proceedings, Union minister of parliamentary affairs Prahlad Joshi reiterated in Lok Sabha that the government is willing to discuss the sensitive situation in Manipur as cleared by Union defence minister Rajnath Singh in the morning

Massive ruckus ensued in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on the second day of the monsoon session on Friday after the Opposition parties demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi speak on the pressing issue surrounding Manipur. Amid the ruckus, Lok Sabha was adjourned till Monday while Rajya Sabha till 2.30pm on Friday as the Opposition in both the Houses continued to raise slogans criticising the government over Manipur issue.

(File Photo)

“A solution can be found only through discussions, but you just don’t want any discussion,” Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said. While the Speaker continued to urge the protesting members to go back to their seats and allow the House to function, the protest did not stop leading to the adjournment of the House for the day

The outrage was sparked over the vile video showing two women of a tribal community in Manipur being paraded naked. The video recently went viral almost three months after the incident occurred. The Opposition parties have been demanding discussion, as well as an ‘elaborate’ statement from PM Modi on this issue.

Requesting Opposition members to not disrupt the proceedings, Union minister of parliamentary affairs Prahlad Joshi reiterated in Lok Sabha that the government is willing to discuss the sensitive situation in Manipur as cleared by Union defence minister Rajnath Singh in the morning.

Singh while speaking on behalf of the Union government, reiterated its demand to discuss Manipur. But he said that the Opposition parties were “not serious” and that selective political parties were creating a tense situation which was barring discussion.

“It looks like some political parties are creating a tense situation in the Parliament and disallowing a discussion on Manipur. The opposition is not as serious on the Manipur issue as it should be. I reiterate that a discussion on Manipur should be held and I also want the opposition to be more serious about it,” Singh said.

PM Modi on Thursday expressed his anguish over the viral video of two women being paraded naked in Manipur adding that the incident was shameful for any civilised society and assured that the guilty will not be spared.

“My heart is filled with pain and anger. The incident from Manipur that has come before us is shameful for any civilized society… the whole nation is shamed,” he had said.

While Lok Sabha was adjourned till Monday, the Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 2:30pm on Friday as the Opposition here too raised the Manipur incident. Trinamool Congress and Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien said the discussion on the Manipur situation should be taken up under Rule 267 and that the prime minister must break his silence on the matter in the House.

He raised a point over expunging words from his speech yesterday. Citing rules 261 and 262 of the Parliament, O’Brien asked Rajya Sabha chairperson Jagdeep Dhankar why the words ‘prime minister’ and ‘Manipur’ were expunged from his address. This followed other Opposition leaders to raise their voices, leading the Chairman to adjourn the House.

Congress MP and leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Jairam Ramesh expressed disappointment for ‘denying’ a discussion over the Manipur issue.

“Today all the parties in INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) demanded once more that the PM should make a statement on Manipur and the continuing tragedy since May 3rd, 2023 INSIDE both Houses, followed by a discussion. This was denied yet again and that’s the reason Rajya Sabha stands adjourned till 2:30 pm and Lok Sabha till Monday,” he wrote on Twitter.

“You did not make a statement inside the Parliament yesterday. If you were angry then instead of making false equivalence with Congress-governed states, you could have first dismissed your Chief Minister of Manipur,” he further wrote.

On Thursday, women Congress workers and leaders staged a protest demanding the Manipur CM N Biren Singh to resign over the Manipur viral video incident.

The Opposition parties have been demanding that all other businesses be suspended for the day to take up the Manipur issue, but the government agreed only to a “Short Duration Discussion” under Rule 176. However, the Opposition has stood strong on its stands and instead pressed for a longer discussion.

Opposition parties in Lok Sabha gave notices to Lok Sabha under Rule 193 and in Rajya Sabha under Rule 176 and Rule 267 to discuss the Manipur matter.

It may be noted that Rule 193 in Lok Sabha and Rule 176 in Rajya Sabha refers to a short discussion. Rule 267 in Rajya Sabha refers to the suspension of business of the day.

The Manipur ethnic violence sparked nationwide outrage after a video of two women being paraded naked by a mob on May 4 in a Manipur village went viral on the internet.

According to the officials, the Manipur Police on Thursday arrested four accused who were seen in the video.