The stage is set for another parliamentary storm over Manipur. Leader of the opposition Rahul Gandhi on Thursday explained that “Congress and the INDIA Bloc will raise the Manipur issue in the Parliament with full force”.
Rahul, who recently made his third visit to the troubled state, reiterated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should personally visit Manipur, listen to people’s problems, and appeal for peace.
The former Congress leader, who met the victims of the violence in three relief camps, assured people that his party will raise the issues facing the people of Manipur in the upcoming Parliament session.
Rahul Gandhi to Manipur peoples
“We can put pressure (on the government) and we will put pressure on them. I can help you, and I can raise the issue and put pressure, but I cannot assure you when you will be able to return to your homes because the government has the answer You will see in the next session, I will raise your voice,” Rahul is heard telling people in videos of his visit to an emergency camp in Manipur.
Parliament will meet again on July 22 for the budget session. The opposition has attacked the government for its failure in Manipur Their main target is Prime Minister Modi, who has not visited the state since it erupted in violence after ethnic clashes erupted on May 3 last year, so far killing around 200 people and displacing thousands in a widespread arson that destroyed homes and government buildings.
In the recently concluded Parliament session, the Prime Minister faced opposition slogans about the situation in Manipur already in response to the vote of thanks in the President’s speech. The Lok Sabha later passed a motion by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh condemning the behavior of the opposition members and accusing them of violating parliamentary traditions. The Congress, on the other hand, justified the slogan by accusing the government of not wanting to give the Manipur MP five minutes of speaking time before the prime minister’s reply in the Lok Sabha.
While PM Modi did not mention Manipur in his speech in the Lok Sabha, in the Rajya Sabha he accused the opposition of politicizing the sensitive issue.
“We are constantly trying to maintain peace and stability in Manipur. In Manipur, a very small state, more than 11,000 FIRs have been registered and more than 500 people have been arrested. Now the violence is decreasing. This means that peace is possible,” the Prime Minister said in his speech.
“Both the central and state governments are actively engaged in solving regional problems with patience and peace. Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited Manipur and stayed there for weeks interacting with relevant stakeholders,” he added.
