Manipur Issue To Be Discussed In Rajya Sabha Today, Govt Blames Oppn For Stalling Parliament: Top Points

Parliament resumed on Monday for another week and is set to witness an intense session as the Delhi ordinance, Manipur issue and No-confidence motion.

After two weeks of chaos and ruckus, Parliament convened again on Monday for what is expected to be another stormy sitting of the House. Manipur had been the focus since the first day of the monsoon session and this week, the Delhi ordinance and no-confidence motion are going to be another set of issues that are likely to create a stir in both Houses. MPs of the opposition's INDIA bloc returned to Delhi on Sunday (July 30) after a two-day Manipur visit. The leaders attacked the Centre and state government for the situation in Manipur.

Top Points On Parliament Monsoon Session

• Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said that the Delhi ordinance will not be tabled in the Parliament on Monday as it has not been mentioned in the List of Businesses. Joshi said that the government will inform whenever the ordinance is introduced. 

 

• On Thursday, the Janata Dal (United) has issued a three-lined whip to the party's Rajya Sabha MPs for the Monsoon session of Parliament to support the party's stand by voting against the Centre's Bil over Delhi Services. Deputy Chairman Harivansh has received a party whip for the first time during his entire tenure, his office told ANI. Aneel Prasad Hegde, Chief Whip of JD(U) in the Rajya Sabha, said all MPs have been issued a whip. 

 

• Meanwhile in Rajya Sabha, Leader of the House Piyush Goyal blamed the opposition for stalling the proceedings of the House for nine straight days. He said that government is ready to take up the Manipur issue for a discussion today itself. "We want discussions on Manipur to take place in Parliament today at 2 pm. They (Opposition) are trying to misuse the liberty given to the members. The govt is ready to discuss Manipur, but they (Opposition) have already spoilt 9 important days of the House," Goyal said.

 

• Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said that the House will discuss on the Manipur crisis at 2 PM today and adjourned the sitting till 12 noon after opposition MPs continued sloganeering demanding PM Narendra Modi's presence in the House.

 

• Opposition leaders visited relief camps in Manipur during the recent two-day visit, met the Manipur governor and urged the authorities to restore peace in the violence-torn state. They have been demanding PM Narendra Modi's statement on the matter inside Parliament has been hampering the business of the House for the last two weeks. Now, as the Monsoon session resumes for another week, the leaders are likely to intensify their agitation. While the delegation asked the Governor to restore normalcy in the state as soon as possible, it also criticised the Union and state governments for turning a blind eye to the state's 'precarious' and 'volatile' situation.

 

• Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Sunday appealed to the opposition MPs who returned from Manipur to join a discussion in Parliament on the ethnic strife in the northeastern state and share their experiences from the visit. His statement comes as Parliament will convene on Monday amid the Monsoon session which has been witnessing sloganeering and protests as the opposition remains persistent in demanding a statement from Prime Minister on the Manipur violence in both Houses of Parliament, a demand rejected by the Union government.

 

• The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) is preparing to introduce a motion in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly on Monday (July 31) concerning the ethnic conflict in Manipur. Following the return of a 20-member delegation of MPs from the opposition INDIA alliance who visited Manipur over the weekend, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is expected to address the assembly on the situation in the violence-stricken northeastern state, according to media reports. 

 

• The Lok Sabha will also discuss the no-confidence motion this week that was brought in by the opposition over the Manipur issue. Earlier on Sunday, Congress MP Manish Tewari claimed that all bills passed after the no-confidence motion was admitted in the Lok Sabha are "constitutionally suspect" and asserted that any substantive legislative business must succeed the outcome of the motion, not precede it, reported PTI.

 

• Aam Aadmi Party MP Raghav Chadha said: "Parliamentary rules say that when a No-Confidence Motion has been admitted by Lok Sabha Speaker, all other business and transaction activities are suspended. But for the first time, the government is introducing and passing bills. I think there is question on the constitutionality of the bills which were passed after the admission of No-Confidence Motion."

 

• This comes after the Opposition front, named INDIA, submitted a notice for a no-confidence motion against the government in Lok Sabha on Wednesday in a bid to corner Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Manipur ethnic violence. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla later admitted the motion after a head count of over 50 MPs as required under the rules. Birla said a date and time for discussion on it will be fixed by him after consultation with all parties.

 

• Manickam Tagore, Congress whip in Lok Sabha, said the motion was the Opposition's last weapon against the government. "We wanted to break the arrogance of Modi. He is behaving as an arrogant person - not to come to the Parliament and make a statement on Manipur...We feel that it is our duty to use this last weapon," ANI quoted Tagore as saying.