Opposition, government spar over rules of discussion

NEW DELHI (TIP): Video evidence of brazen mob violence against two Manipur women stalled Parliament for the second straight day with the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha adjourned amid constant sloganeering without transaction of business.

At the heart of the stalemate were rules under which to debate violence in the northeastern state, which has been on the edge since May 3 following a court ruling recommending the ST status for the majority Meiteis, a move that sparked protests among tribal locals.The Opposition wants discussions under provisions that allow suspension of all business to discuss an urgent issue at the day’s start, followed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reply. The government is agreeable to debating under rules where the presiding officer slots a discussion at any time. Also, the government says Union Home Minister Amit Shah will reply to the discussion. Disagreement over rules had the Opposition and the government blaming one another for stalling a crucial debate, even as protests continued in Manipur following the shocking visuals of two women being groped by a mob. Both Houses witnessed frenzied sloganeering by opposition MPs with “INDIA” placards appearing in the wells. In Lok Sabha, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, deputy leader of the House, said the government wanted a debate on Manipur to be held in all seriousness but the opposition was disinterested. “We want a discussion on Manipur… I want to say the Opposition is not serious, as it should be, for a discussion on Manipur,” he said moments before LS Speaker Om Birla adjourned the House after MPs protesting in the well declined his pleas to return to seats.

Rajya Sabha saw similar scenes, with Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar adjourning the House for the day.

The ruckus is expected to continue on Monday with the Opposition scheduling a protest at Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament house complex. The Congress upped the ante today, urging President Droupadi Murmu to dismiss the state government.

Party’s deputy leader in RS Pramod Tiwari said the Opposition wanted a debate “without time restrictions but the government is offering a short duration discussion”. Outside Parliament, the BJP condemned Manipur incident but cited violent crimes against women in TMC-ruled West Bengal and Congress-ruled Rajasthan to ask if crime videos needed to go viral for the people to be outraged.

BJP’s Hooghly MP Locket Chatterjee broke down recalling a woman being paraded naked in South Panchla for contesting the recent panchayat elections in the state.

Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and BJP general secretary (Rajasthan) Arun Singh listed crimes against women in the state. “Rajasthan is a failed state. There has been a tsunami of crimes against women in four years. There is no safe space left. There have been a million criminal cases in four years of Congress rule,” Jodhpur MP Shekhawat said, mentioning a recent brutal gang-rape and murder of a Scheduled Caste girl in Karauli.

As BJP flagged “Manipur-like situation in opposition-ruled states,” BSP chief Mayawati said a “discussion should be held in Parliament on the sensitive Manipur matter and political blame game should stop”.

Earlier, many opposition leaders expressed shock and concern over the inhuman incident of two women paraded naked and subjected to indignities.

Terming sexual violence against women “heart wrenching”, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said women and children had to bear the brunt of the violence in any society.

“We must all condemn the violence in one voice while furthering the efforts for peace in Manipur. Why have the Central Government and Prime Minister shut their eyes to the violent incidents in Manipur? Do such pictures and violent incidents not disturb them?” asked Ms. Vadra on Twitter.

Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, who had visited Manipur in the last week of June, also questioned the Prime Minister’s silence.

“PM’s silence and inaction led Manipur into anarchy. INDIA will not stay silent while the idea of India is being attacked in Manipur. We stand with the people of Manipur. Peace is the only way forward,” Mr. Gandhi tweeted, referring to the common stand taken by the opposition bloc of INDIA or the Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury tweeted, ”PM Modi continues to remain silent even after this horrendous double engine horror. Silence reflects inhuman callousness. Such barbarism is criminal & abhorrent”.

“This kind of heinous act cannot be tolerated in the Indian society. The situation in Manipur is becoming very worrying. I appeal to the Prime Minister to pay attention to the situation in Manipur. Please take strict action against the culprits seen in the video of this incident. There should be no place for people of such criminal nature in India,” Aam Aadmi Party convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Twitter.

Trinamool Congress’ Rajya Sabha member Jawahar Sircar tweeted, “Shocking! Two helpless Kuki women gang-raped and paraded with video by majority community in Manipur. What were the police and armed forces doing? Neither BJP Meitei-led Govt of Manipur nor Modi-Amit Shah Central govt appear bothered at such beastly conduct!”