New Delhi: With both Houses of Parliament having witnessed chaotic scenes and disruptions over the Manipur issue, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Thursday said the Opposition bloc I.N.D.I.A has come up with an idea that would offer a “middle path” solution to end the impasse. Taking to Twitter, he wrote, “INDIA parties have offered a middle path solution to the Leader of the House to break the logjam and get a discussion on Manipur going in an uninterrupted manner in the Rajya Sabha. Hope the Modi government agrees.”
His remarks came hours after the Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar convened a meeting with leaders to find a solution to end the impasse.
It is to be noted that the Opposition leaders have been protesting over the Manipur issue and have insisted on holding a discussion over the matter under Rule 267, which would lead to suspension of all other businesses to address the key issue.
According to a report by news agency ANI, Dhankhar said he has already given a ruling that he cannot accept the Opposition’s demand for discussion under Rule 267, but asserted that discussion under Rule 176, as proposed by the government, will not be restricted to 2.5 hours and he will allocate as much time as required.
Earlier in the day, the Opposition members staged a walkout from the Rajya Sabha over their demand for a discussion on the Manipur issue.
Notably, ever since the Monsoon Session of Parliament began on July 20, proceedings in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have been affected with the demand of the Opposition for a statement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The issue of Manipur, which has been witnessing ethnic clashes since May, flared up after a video of two women being paraded naked went viral last month.