The Parliament sees a ‘slogan war’ as Opposition MPs demand Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement on the Manipur issue
Our Bureau
New Delhi/Imphal
On the seventh day of the Parliament Monsoon session on Friday, several MPs from opposition parties gave notices in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, seeking a discussion on the Manipur issue, which has been a key reason for the continuous logjam in both Houses since the session commenced. Opposition parties on Friday alleged that the government is “subverting” Parliamentary traditions by passing Bills even as the motion of no-confidence has been accepted in Lok Sabha.
Amid the clamor from the Opposition for a debate on the vote of no confidence filed against the Centre in the Lok Sabha over the Manipur situation, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Friday said the government was confident it had numbers to sail through a no-confidence vote, should it happen.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the seventh day of the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament on Friday, the Union Minister said, “They (Opposition) do not take part in discussions and neither cooperate in ensuring passage of Bills in Parliament. We were ready to take constructive suggestions from them, but they brought a no-confidence motion all of a sudden. We will have discussions on the no-confidence motion as and when required. We are not too worried as we have the numbers (to survive the vote of no confidence).” Joshi also said there is no better floor than Parliament to discuss the prevailing situation in Manipur.
“If they want the truth (regarding Manipur) to come out, there is no better floor than this (Parliament) for a discussion and debate,” he added.
Members of the grand Opposition alliance, I.N.D.I.A, have been adamant on the demand that all listed businesses in both Houses be aside for a discussion on the Manipur situation. They have also been insisting on a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the prevailing state of affairs in the Northeast state.
The Opposition members are also pushing for the demand that the Lok Sabha Speaker set a date for voting on the no-confidence motion against the Centre filed earlier. The motion, on behalf of the Opposition alliance, was tabled earlier by Congress Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi.
Meanwhile, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, also demanded an immediate discussion on the no-confidence motion. “We have moved a no-confidence motion under Rule 198. As per this rule, a discussion on the motion should happen immediately,” he said.
Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha also objected to the tabling and passing of the Bills in both Houses, saying, “no Bill is introduced in Parliament after a no-confidence motion is accepted by the Lok Sabha Speaker”.
The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2023, as reported by Joint Committee, was passed in Lok Sabha on Thursday after the House resumed at 3 pm amid sloganeering by the Opposition members over Manipur.
The Parliament is witnessing a ‘slogan war’, as Opposition MPs are continuously shouting slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his statement on the Manipur issue, forcing adjournments in both the Houses.
Following the disruptions, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday held a meeting with leaders of all Opposition parties to discuss ending the logjam and to start the proceedings of the House to be held next week. Congress MP Pramod Tiwari who attended the meeting representing the party along with Jairam Ramesh said that the PM should speak on Manipur inside the Parliament.
Union Minister Piyush Goyal, after the meeting, while addressing a press conference said that the Chairman has suggested that this logjam should be ended through proper discussion.
The meeting was an attempt at reaching out to the opposition in a bid to bring normalcy to the House and allow it to function. Chairman Dhankhar has asked all the leaders to convey the Chairman’s message to their top leadership and take a rational decision in two or three days.
On Thursday, MPs from the INDIA group of parties turned up in black attire to protest against the Prime Minister’s silence on Manipur, where ethnic clashes have been going on since the first week of May. The government’s stand, on the other hand, has been that it is ready for a discussion.
