Lok Sabha proceedings adjourned for day amid protests by Opposition

Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the day on Monday amid unrelenting protests by opposition members for a statement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Manipur situation, even as Union Home Minister Amit Shah assured the House the government will discuss the issue.

As the Lok Sabha reconvened at 2:30 pm after an earlier adjournment, sloganeering from the opposition benches continued and Speaker Om Birla tried to calm them down.

Shah said he was unable to understand why the opposition was not allowing a discussion to take place as the government was ready for it.

Earlier, the government transacted some legislative business, with three Bills introduced and one withdrawn amid the din.

While the government withdrew the DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2019, it introduced the National Dental Commission Bill, 2023, the National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill, 2023 and the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023.

Rajendra Agrawal, who was in the chair, urged the opposition members to go back to their seats for a debate but the latter continued with their protests, demanding a statement from the prime minister on Manipur. Agrawal then adjourned the House till 2 pm.

Earlier in the day, as soon as the House met at 11 am, opposition members from the Congress, DMK, Left parties and others were on their feet.

Speaker Om Birla allowed Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury to speak.

Chowdhury said Modi should make a suo motu statement on the floor of the House on the violence in Manipur.

Birla said the House is ready for a discussion on the Manipur violence and the debate could be started after 12 noon as the time fixed for the Question Hour from 11 am should not be disturbed as many important issues are raised by the members during this period for a reply from the government.

"The whole House is ready for the discussion and the government will reply to the debate too. But you will not decide who will reply to the debate," the speaker said.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi also said the government is ready for a discussion, while pointing out that it is the opposition that is disrupting the proceedings and running away from a debate.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who is also the deputy leader of the Lok Sabha, reiterated his statement made on Friday that the government is ready for a discussion on the Manipur violence.

As the opposition members stuck to their demand for a statement from the prime minister, the speaker continued with the proceedings.

The House functioned for about 30 minutes amid the sloganeering and protest by the opposition.

Birla again appealed to the opposition to allow the Question Hour to go on smoothly as he was ready for a discussion on the Manipur violence from 12 noon onwards.

The opposition members were holding up placards that read "INDIA wants discussion on Manipur violence", "INDIA for Manipur" etc.

"A solution could come only through discussions. I am accepting your request. I am ready for the discussion, but let the Question Hour be continued first. People have not sent you here for sloganeering or showing placards. The government will take action on the outcome of the debate. Don't you want a debate," Birla asked the opposition members.

The speaker said he is ready to give enough time to everyone for raising their issues, but only after the Question Hour.

As the protests continued, the speaker adjourned the House till 12 noon.

The Manipur violence rocked the proceedings in both Houses of Parliament on the first two days of the Monsoon session on Thursday and Friday, with the opposition demanding a statement from the prime minister and a discussion on the situation in the strife-torn northeastern state.

The session commenced a day after a video clip purportedly shot on May 4 and showing two women being paraded naked by a mob in a Manipur village went viral, triggering a nationwide outrage.

The Manipur Police has arrested several accused who were seen in the video. The police said a case of abduction, gang rape and murder has been registered at the Nongpok Sekmai police station in Thoubal district against unidentified armed miscreants.