India News | Opposition MPs Brief INDIA Bloc Parties on Manipur Visit
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. A delegation of MPs that visited Manipur to assess the situation in the strife-torn state on Monday briefed leaders of the opposition INDIA grouping here.
New Delhi, Jul 31 (PTI) A delegation of MPs that visited Manipur to assess the situation in the strife-torn state on Monday briefed leaders of the opposition INDIA grouping here.
Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned as the opposition parties stuck to their demand that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should speak on the issue before any discussion is taken up.
The opposition MPs met at the Parliament House complex and highlighted the ground realities before the alliance members. Among those present were Congress Parliamentary Party leader Sonia Gandhi, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and leaders of various INDIA bloc parties.
Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who was part of the 21-member delegation, described the situation in Manipur as "grave".
"If the ruling party MPs go there and see the situation for themselves, they will not make casual statements," he said.
The opposition MPs went to Manipur over the weekend, visiting the relief camps and meeting the people affected by the violence.
During the meeting, Congress MPs Gaurav Gogoi and Adhir Chowdhury and TMC's Sushmita Dev spoke in detail on the issue.
Dev, who had visited the state earlier too, said that the "situation is worse than what I saw last time".
The delegation also relayed stories of hope where members of various communities helped each other out during the ethnic unrest.
Gogoi spoke on the sensitivity of the situation in Manipur and said that it was important that the bloc be mindful of the language they use so as to not hurt the sentiments of either community.
Gandhi, who was present through the briefing, said that she had specially attended the meeting to hear first hand about the ground realities.
The Opposition bloc which had a meeting in the morning and later in the afternoon discussed their strategy in both Houses of Parliament.
It was made clear that the focus of the bloc is to ensure that the PM appears in both Houses. And before the no-confidence motion, the only bill that they will be part of is the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023, sources said.
One of the leaders pointed out that 27 no-confidence motions have taken place since 1952 and collectively during such motions, only two bills have been passed.
The parties have collectively filed 65 adjournment notices under Rule 267 on the Manipur issue on Monday, the leaders said.
"We want the PM in both Houses. He has to make an appearance. We have conveyed this to the government," said a senior leader.
With the government taking the line that Modi's statement will be disrupted as the opposition has acted similarly in the past, the opposition leaders feel any assurance on this will give the PM leeway.
"It will be a speech which will be like a recorded Mann ki Baat episode," a leader said.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who addressed the media earlier on Monday, said it is clear that the opposition has been shedding "crocodile tears" over the situation in the state.
"When he (Modi) stands up to reply what noise and disturbance they create. They did not have the courtesy to listen to him. Today they insist. What an irony," said Sitharaman.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)