Sonia Gandhi Appeals to PM: Discuss Manipur Situation in Parliament
Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi has called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hold a discussion on the issue of Manipur in the House, as conveyed by the party’s leader in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, on Thursday.
During a brief conversation just before the House proceedings began, Ms. Gandhi made her demand known to Mr. Modi. Sources indicate that the Prime Minister had spoken to Ms. Gandhi to inquire about her well-being following Tuesday’s incident, where a plane she was on developed a technical snag and had to make an emergency landing.
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury clarified that the conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sonia Gandhi was in line with the customary practice of the Prime Minister greeting Opposition leaders on the first day of the session. During this exchange, Ms. Gandhi took the opportunity to convey the Congress party’s demand for a discussion on the matter concerning Manipur in the House.
As the session commences, it is common for the Prime Minister to exchange pleasantries and engage in brief conversations with Opposition leaders. In this instance, Sonia Gandhi used the moment to express the party’s desire to discuss issues related to Manipur, highlighting their stance on the importance of addressing those matters in the parliamentary forum.
According to Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the Prime Minister seemed surprised by the unexpected question from Sonia Gandhi, and he responded that they would consider the matter. However, Ms. Gandhi firmly asserted the party’s demand for a discussion on the issue related to Manipur.
The incident in Manipur, where a video of two women being paraded naked surfaced on social media, has intensified the Congress party’s criticism of the Narendra Modi government. The party is taking a proactive stance in demanding a discussion on the matter in the House to address the concerns and seek appropriate actions regarding the disturbing incident.
In response to the incident in Manipur and the government’s handling of the situation, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge criticized the Modi government and the BJP, accusing them of transforming democracy and the rule of law into mobocracy by causing harm to the social fabric of the state.
Kharge also pointed out the Prime Minister’s absence in Manipur, contrasting it with Rahul Gandhi’s visit to listen to the concerns of the people. He questioned why, despite having all the resources and facilities at his disposal, Prime Minister Modi had not visited Manipur to address the situation.
Jairam Ramesh, the Congress communication chief, also aimed Modi, criticizing his brief mention of the Manipur incident and comparing it to crimes against women in Congress-ruled states. Ramesh accused Modi of sidestepping the core issue of ethnic conflict and failing to make any appeal for peace or call for the Chief Minister of Manipur to step down in light of the troubling incident.
Former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram questioned the Prime Minister’s response to the situation in Manipur, speculating on the possible reasons behind his statement. He raised the possibility that the Prime Minister’s remarks might have been prompted by the shocking video of the heinous crime against women in Manipur or the Supreme Court’s attention to the grave human rights violations in the state.
Chidambaram called for decisive action, stating that the first step the Prime Minister should take is to dismiss the government led by Chief Minister Biren Singh, whom he considered discredited, and implement President’s Rule in Manipur.
Netta D’Souza, the Mahila Congress chief, expressed her appeal to President Droupadi Murmu, emphasizing her status as a woman and a tribal leader, and urged her to break her silence on the matter in Manipur. D’Souza called for the imposition of the President’s Rule, believing that it could lead to improvements in the situation in Manipur. Her protest took place near Parliament, just a short distance away from where the session was being held.
Rahul Gandhi responded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s comment about the visuals from Manipur shaming the country by tweeting that the real issue is not about shame but the immense pain and trauma inflicted on the women of Manipur. He urged an immediate cessation of violence in the region.
Following the emergence of a video showing two women being paraded naked in Manipur, the Congress party has intensified its criticism of the Narendra Modi government. Party leaders, including Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, have demanded a discussion on the matter in the House. They have accused the government of promoting mobocracy and failing to address the grave issue of violence against women in the region.
The Congress has called for the dismissal of the Manipur government and the imposition of the President’s Rule to improve the situation in the state. Rahul Gandhi emphasized the need to stop the violence immediately, focusing on the pain and trauma inflicted on the women rather than just the shame it brought to the country.
