Parliament logjam continues as ‘peace mission’ of Shah & Rajnath turns futile

New Delhi: It seems the attempts of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to ‘mollify’ the Opposition with the ‘assurance’ of discussion on Manipur violence in the House turned futile as the Opposition stood firm on their demand to discuss the issue under Rule 267 in Parliament and statement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi before the start of the debate.

As the logjam in Parliament continued for the third day on Monday as both — the Opposition parties and the ruling BJP — locked horns on the issue of continuing violence in Manipur, both the Houses of Parliament adjourned for the day without having any business.

Making an attempt to end the ongoing deadlock, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the government is ready for a discussion on Manipur. “I am ready for discussion on this (Manipur) in the House. I request the Opposition to let a discussion take place on this issue. It is important that the country gets to know the truth on this sensitive matter,” Shah said in the Lok Sabha.

Blaming Opposition members, Shah said, “I do not know why the Opposition does not want to allow discussion on a very sensitive matter.”

In Rajya Sabha, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar suspended AAP member Sanjay Singh for the entire duration of the Monsoon session for “repeatedly violating the directives of the Chair”.

After his suspension, Singh said, “If this House is not for speaking on Manipur violence-like incidents and if they cannot give reply… I would only say that the prime minister is a shameless, coward and cruel ruler with whom we are ready to fight.”

Opposition rallied behind Singh and sat on protest inside the Parliament premises and demanded the revocation of the suspension. Members of Opposition parties sat on dharna to protest the suspension of AAP MP.

Prior to Shah’s statement, Union Defence Minister and Deputy Leader of Lok Sabha Rajnath Singh attempted to end the deadlock by calling at least three members of the Opposition – Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, TMC’s Sudip Bandhyopadhyay, and DMK’s TR Baalu (DMK) – on Sunday night.

In the Lower House, Singh too reiterated that the government is ready for discussion in Parliament.

As per Congress leaders, Kharge told Singh that Manipur violence cannot be tolerated and the Prime Minister should make a statement inside the Parliament. Similar views were also expressed by other Opposition leaders with whom Rajnath Singh had discussed for ending the logjam in Parliament.

However, taking a swipe at the Home Minister, AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh sought to know why the PM refused to speak on the issue inside Parliament.

“Amit Shah is not doing anybody any special favour. The perfectly democratic and legitimate demand of the parties comprising INDIA is for a statement by the prime minister on the Manipur situation first followed by a discussion. The Home Minister is totally silent on this. What is the hesitation in getting the PM to speak inside Parliament first?” he asked.

Earlier in the day, Kharge, while holding a protest near the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament demanding for a detailed discussion on Manipur violence had said that Rajnath Singh spoke to him and several other Opposition MPs. “It is shameful that PM Modi spoke outside the parliament. We all Opposition parties are demanding from the Chairman in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha Speaker that the Prime Minister should come inside the House and make a statement about what is the actual situation in Manipur,” Kharge said.

Earlier in the day, the Opposition held protests inside Parliament premises, holding placards and chanting slogans, demanding that the PM address the House on Manipur issue. Both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were adjourned amid the commotion.

Kharge, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, said, “Our demand is that the PM should come to the House and make a statement. We are ready to discuss that statement. You are speaking outside but not inside, this is an insult to Parliament. It is a serious matter,” he said.

Questioning the government’s failure in controlling the situation in Manipur, Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said, “PM Modi should speak on the issue. Does the PM have no answerability? He gave a 36-second statement outside Parliament, but he is not telling the country through Parliament why the chief minister has not been sacked yet… Why is the Women and Child Development Minister not visiting Manipur yet.”

Responding to the criticism, BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi defended the ruling party by saying, “The Opposition’s silence on crime against women in Rajasthan and West Bengal is troublesome. What is more painful is that the Rajasthan chief minister was not listening to his own minister.”

On the issue, Union Minister Prahlad Singh Patel said, “The Opposition should not make excuses. The PM has already made a statement on Manipur with sensitivity and firmness ahead of the (Monsoon) session. It is wrong that we didn’t start the discussion (on the Manipur issue in Parliament) at all by making an excuse in the name of the PM.”