Monsoon session 2023: Lok Sabha adjourned as Opposition raises Manipur issue  

Parliamentary proceedings in the Lok Sabha on Thursday were adjourned till 2 pm as the Opposition has demanded a discussion the Manipur situation in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s presence. They also raised slogans in the lower house of the Parliament.  

The northeastern state of Manipur has been torn by strife since May this year when violence broke out between Meiteis and Kukis. The violence between Meiteis and Kukis broke out when a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for scheduled tribe (ST) status.  

Over 160 people have died whereas several people have been injured so far. Few days before the commencement of the monsoon session of the Parliament, a video from Manipur went viral, showing a mob of men parading two women naked. The victims belonged to the Kuki community. 

Meanwhile, the Opposition bloc INDIA have decided to avoid sloganeering against responses by “select ministers” as a part of their floor strategy, India Today reported citing sources. They further said that as a part of this strategy, the Opposition MPs have decided to let some ministers including Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari respond to the House without disruptions on “some issues”.  

The Opposition is also planning to intensify attack against the Modi government and also has a plan in place to raise the Manipur crisis during starred question session.  

The Opposition will focus squarely on pressing the government and PM Modi to speak on the ethnic clashes in Manipur. The Opposition is also planning to seek the government’s response on the issue in the Rajya Sabha as well.  

A no-confidence motion against Modi’s government on the Manipur issue has been moved in the Lok Sabha. The Lok Sabha Speaker will soon announce the date of the debate. Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said the government was ready to discuss the issue and urged Opposition to let the discussion happen so that people know the truth.  

Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar told PTI that the Opposition earlier demanded a debate on Manipur. “When our government agreed to it, they changed their demand. This is a sort of moving the goalpost strategy of the (Opposition). They just wanted to keep the truth away from the people,”  he said.  

The monsoon session commenced on July 20 amid outrage over the viral video and the overall situation in the strife-hit northeastern state. Opposition has been demanding a statement from PM Modi and a discussion on the violence in the state.  

(With India Today, PTI inputs) 

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