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Hold short discussion on Manipur, Rajya Sabha MPs from Northeast tell Chair
Rajya Sabha members from the Northeast on Wednesday urged chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar to hold a short-duration discussion on the ongoing Manipur violence.
Rajya Sabha members from the Northeast on Wednesday urged chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar to hold a short-duration discussion on the ongoing Manipur violence which has claimed at least 150 lives so far.
Former Union minister Birendra Prasad Baishya, former Tripura chief minister Biplab Deb, Assam MPs, including Kamakhya Prasad Tasa, and Bharatiya Janata Party’s Phangnon Konyak, the first woman MP from Nagaland in the Upper House, met Dhankhar to press for a debate under rule 176, which doesn’t entail a vote.
In a tweet, Dhankhar said: “Members of the Rajya Sabha from the Northeast called on the Hon’ble Chairman in Parliament today and requested for a short-duration discussion under Rule 176 on issues in Manipur. They urged Members across all party lines to participate in the discussion and give constructive suggestions for tackling the situation in Manipur, which will boost the confidence of people in the state.”
Wednesday was the fifth day in a row when the Opposition caused uproar in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha over the Manipur situation, demanding a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a debate.
“We are members of the Northeast region. We belong to various parties. We are very much concerned about the situation in Manipur. We want to have a discussion on Manipur. Our notices have been accepted by the chairman. But other parties are avoiding the discussion,” Baishya said.
Deb emphasised that “Manipur might be a slogan for the opposition, but it is our emotion and an issue of our self-respect”. “We don’t want a political game over Manipur. Hopefully, discussions will start soon,” he said.
