New Delhi: As opposition parties continued to demand a statement from Prime Minister Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah told parliament on Monday that the government is ready to hold a discussion on Manipur and accused the opposition of not wanting a debate.This even as the opposition has remained firm on its demand for a statement by Modi inside the House and a discussion under Rule 267 of the Rajya Sabha’s ‘Rules of Procedures and Conduct of Business’. The government, on the other hand, has only agreed to a short-term discussion under Rule 127.The third day of the monsoon session of parliament got off to a stormy start both inside and outside parliament with protests and counter-protests staged in front of the Gandhi statue and the suspension of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh from the Rajya Sabha.After repeated adjournments, Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla invited the home minister to make a statement on Manipur on Monday afternoon.“This is a sensitive issue and a discussion has been demanded,” Shah said. “I am ready for a discussion. I don’t know why the opposition doesn’t want a discussion. I urge the opposition to allow a discussion. It is important for the country to have a discussion on this sensitive issue.”Earlier on Sunday, July 23, Union minister Anurag Thakur also appealed with “folded hands” to opposition parties to join a discussion on Manipur.“We wish that there should be a good discussion on this in the House, where all political parties will participate. Nobody should run away from the debate. It is my request to the opposition with folded hands, do not run away from the discussion,” he was quoted as saying by the news agency PTI.The opposition, however, has demanded a debate under Rule 267.“We want a debate in the House under Rule 267. But the ministers of the Modi government say that there will be only short duration discussion, another one says that there will be only half an hour discussion. Rule 267 debate can go on for hours, voting can also happen, we want that,” said Congress chief and leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge outside parliament on Monday.Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge speaking in the Rajya Sabha. Photo: PTI“But they don’t want that. Somebody says half an hour discussion, another says short duration discussion. The problem is not going to be solved with your discussion. You are representative of 140 crore people. Why are you not coming to the House and telling the truth?”Rule 267 under which the opposition wants a discussion states: “Any member, may, with the consent of the Chairman, move that any rule may be suspended in its application to a motion related to the business listed before the Council of that day and if the motion is carried, the rule in question shall be suspended for the time being: Provided further that this rule shall not apply where specific provision already exists for suspension of a rule under a particular chapter of the Rules.”However, the government does not want to move ahead with Rule 267 and wants a short-duration discussion under Rule 176.This rule states: “Any member desirous of raising discussion on a matter of urgent public importance may give notice in writing to the Secretary-General specifying clearly and precisely the matter to be raised: Provided that the notice shall be accompanied by an explanatory note stating reasons for raising discussion on the matter in question: Provided further that the notice shall be supported by the signatures of at least two other members.”Manipur has been in the grip of ethnic violence since May 3, in which over 150 people have been killed and left tens of thousands displaced.Opposition MPs have been demanding a statement by Modi inside the parliament.While Modi broke his silence last week and spoke outside the parliament building on Thursday, he specifically referred to the harrowing video that went viral on social media the day before – showing two Kuki women being paraded naked in Kangpokpi on May 4.However, he failed to address the ongoing violence and collapse of law and order in the state. He also mentioned the Congress-ruled states of Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan and asked the state governments to act against violence against women. AAP MP Sanjay Singh suspendedOn Monday, both houses of parliament saw repeated adjournments as the opposition continued to raise slogans condemning Modi’s silence and demanding that he address the House.In Rajya Sabha, Singh was suspended by Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankar for “repeatedly violating the directives of the Chair” as opposition MPs protested in parliament demanding a discussion on Manipur.Singh’s suspension came after he allegedly stormed the well of the house. He was seen in front of the chairman’s desk raising slogans.Union minister Piyush Goyal moved a motion seeking Singh’s removal for the remainder of the monsoon season for “disturbing the House” and violating the “ethics and rules of the House.”Approving Goyal’s motion, Dhankar said: “Sanjay Singh has been suspended for the entire duration of the session for having repeatedly violated the directives of the chair.”#WATCH | Rajya Sabha Chairman suspends AAP MP Sanjay Singh for the remaining duration of the Monsoon session during the Opposition's protest in the House over the Manipur issue pic.twitter.com/YpNYIhhMck— ANI (@ANI) July 24, 2023Opposition MPs subsequently met the chairman over Singh’s suspension when the house was adjourned in the afternoon, reported ANI.When the session, deputy Rajya Sabha chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh announced that while Singh had been suspended, he was still found to be sitting in the Rajya Sabha.The deputy chairman asked Singh to leave the House and adjourned the Rajya Sabha again. When the house resumed an hour later, Singh announced that despite being given an hour to leave the Rajya Sabha in line with his suspension, the AAP MP had not done so. The House was then adjourned for the day.The Wire has reached out to Singh and the AAP for a statement. This report will be updated once a response is received.Speaking to reporters outside parliament, AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha said that it is a sad day for Indian democracy that MPs are being suspended for protesting against the government.“We are in a situation today that MPs are being suspended and they are having to sit inside the House to protest even after their suspension. Such a sad day has probably not been seen in Indian democracy,” he said.Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said that the parliament did not function for the third day due to the refusal of the government to accept the INDIA parties’ demand for a comprehensive statement by the Prime Minister.“Parliament did not function for the 3rd day because of the continued refusal of the Modi Govt to accept the demand of INDIA parties for a comprehensive statement by the Prime Minister in the House on the post-May 3rd situation in Manipur to be followed by a discussion,” he wrote on Twitter.“INDIA parties are only reflecting the sentiments of the people of Manipur and indeed of our country. Why is the PM running away from speaking inside the House?”Another Congress leader, K.C. Venugopal, said, “Parliament is dysfunctional because the Prime Minister is scared of directly facing questions. He refuses to enter the House of which he is elected Leader. Manipur is in the middle of a civil war, but the PM is hiding behind his subordinates. The entire nation is seething because he has allowed this crisis to spiral out of control, and his silence is beyond shameful at a time of such death and destruction.”Parliament is dysfunctional because the Prime Minister is scared of directly facing questions. He refuses to enter the House of which he is elected Leader.Manipur is in the middle of a civil war, but the PM is hiding behind his subordinates. The entire nation is seething…— K C Venugopal (@kcvenugopalmp) July 24, 2023Protests and counter-protestsPrior to the session starting on Monday, protests and counter-protests were held outside the parliament in front of the Gandhi statue.Opposition MPs of the 26-party INDIA alliance staged their first joint protest holding banners that read “INDIA for Manipur”, “PM start parliament debate”, “Save Manipur”, opposition MPs said that it is “shameful” that Modi chose to make a statement outside parliament but has refused to speak inside the house.“It is shameful that the Prime Minister is making a statement outside the House when Parliament is in session. It is his duty to make a comprehensive statement inside the Parliament on Manipur violence,” said Kharge.Counter protests were held by BJP MPs from Rajasthan against the rising crimes against women in the Congress-ruled state.
