Both houses of parliament were adjourned on the first day of the monsoon session amid protests and outrage over the situation in Manipur. Fifteen opposition MPs had moved asked for the suspension of all business and discussion the ongoing violence.
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As the government tried to proceed with regular business, opposition members shouted slogans of “Manipur Manipur” and “Manipur is burning” in the Lok Sabha. In the Rajya Sabha, calls for a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi led to a stalemate.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi said that the government has already made it clear that it was open to a discussion on Manipur in both Houses of Parliament. He said that Deputy leader in Lok Sabha Rajnath Singh has also given a similar assurance.
Mr Joshi said that Home Minister Amit Shah would make a detailed reply once the discussion takes place, the time of which will be decided by the Speaker.
In the morning, leaders of several opposition parties met at the chamber of Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge in the Parliament complex to chalk out their joint strategy for the Monsoon Session. The 2-month-long violence in Manipur has left more than 80 people dead and thousands displaced.
Ahead of the session, amid mounting opposition pressure, PM Modi vowed to punish those who were seen in a social media video parading two naked women in Manipur, which has been witnessing ethnic violence since May 3. The women were allegedly gang-raped and the state police said an investigation is on and one person has been arrested.
The government has drawn up a heavy legislative schedule with 31 bills to be taken up during the monsoon session. Among them is a bill meant to replace the Ordinance that gives Centre the power to control bureaucrats posted in Delhi.
A massive face-off between the government and the Opposition is expected in Rajya Sabha over the bill on Delhi bureaucrats, with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal canvassing support of the opposition parties. In the Opposition, 105 members are against the bill.
The matter might go in favour of the government, with the BJP and allies having 105 members. The BJP is confident of the support of five nominated and two independent MPs. It also expects support from Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party, the Janata Dal Secular and Telugu Desam Party, which have an MP each.
The government will need help from Naveen Patnaik’s BJD and Jagan Mohan Reddy’s YSR Congress, which have nine members each. The BJD has said it will decide when the bill comes up for discussion and voting. Jagan Reddy is also yet to reveal his decision.
The monsoon session of Parliament will continue till August 11. There will be a total of 17 sittings during the session. The session will begin in the old Parliament Building, but will shift to the new building later.The new parliament was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May this year. It offers more space than the current building which was built in 1927.
