New Delhi: Parliament in both Houses were adjourned for the day on Monday, July 31, as opposition parties’ continued demanding a statement from the prime minister over the ongoing ethnic violence in Manipur.
In all the melee, the Cinematograph Amendment Bill, 2023, passed in the Lok Sabha to curb film piracy. The bill was already passed in the Rajya Sabha.
Lok Sabha today
Earlier, when the lower House met at 11 am, Speaker Om Birla announced that a parliamentary delegation from Malawi is visiting India and they are watching the proceedings of the House.
As he completed his speech, the opposition members were on their feet displaying placards and raising slogans.
The speaker initially ignored their protests and continued the Question Hour, which was the scheduled business.
Two questions related to the education and finance ministries were taken up for discussion amid sloganeering and protests.
As the protests continued, the speaker appealed to the opposition members to go back to their seats and take part in the proceedings. With the opposition MPs ignoring his pleas, Speaker Om Birla adjourned the House till 2 pm after about 15 minutes of business.
Rajya Sabha today
A similar situation prevailed in Rajya Sabha as opposition parties insisted a discussion over the Manipur issue. The House was adjourned for the day.
In the morning, Leader of the House Piyush Goyal told the Rajya Sabha that the government was ready for a discussion on Manipur and urged the Chair to begin it at 2 pm itself.
The chairman told the House that he has rejected all notices received under Rule 267 from the opposition members as he has already agreed to a short-duration discussion under Rule 176.
When the opposition members insisted on a discussion under Rule 267, Dhankhar said, “I have not admitted notices under Rule 267. They have been declined by me.”
As the uproar continued, the chairman first adjourned the House till 2.30 pm and then again till 3.30 pm.
Earlier in the day, when the chair asked the opposition if it was agreeable to a discussion, Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge insisted it should only be under Rule 267.
“We have demanded a discussion under Rule 267. Our members have visited Manipur. Manipur is burning…. We want (a discussion) under Rule 267….,” the Congress leader said.
As the shouting continued, the chair adjourned the House till noon.
When the House reassembled, Dhankhar allowed Kharge to speak, but the ruling party members were on their feet and did not allow him to speak.
“Though it is the Question Hour, as an extraordinary case, I am allowing the leader of the opposition (to speak),” the chairman said.
With Kharge on his feet, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members created an uproar and did not allow him to speak, forcing the chair to adjourn the house till 2 pm.
Rule 267 of the Rajya Sabha rulebook allows for the suspension of the day’s business to debate on any issue suggested by a member.
Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar announced that the leader of the House and opposition leaders meet him at his chamber at 2:45 pm to resolve the issue.
Dhankhar adjourned the House for the fourth time during the day till 3:30 pm amid the continued din created by the opposition leaders.
However, when the House reassembled at 3:30, opposition parties rebounded with their demands. Chairman Dhankar later adjourned the House for the day.
Why is the opposition protesting?
The Monsson session started a day after a video of two women being paraded naked by a mob on May 4 in a Manipur village went viral, triggering a nationwide outrage. The Manipur Police have arrested several accused who were seen in the video, officials said.
The Manipur violence rocked proceedings in both Houses of Parliament ever since the Monsoon session began on July 20, with the opposition demanding a statement from Prime Minister Modi and a discussion on the situation in the northeastern state.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said that the government was ready for a debate on the Manipur issue.
The speaker had also said the opposition can’t decide who would reply to the debate on behalf of the government.
The opposition subsequently moved a no-confidence motion against the Modi government, apparently aiming to force the prime minister to speak on the Manipur violence in Parliament.
On July 27, the government decided to hand over the probe into the case of the naked parade of two women to the CBI and filed a petition in the Supreme Court saying the trial of the cases should be conducted outside the state.
