Over the Opposition’s demand for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s presence in the Parliament for discussion on the Manipur issue, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Yadav on Tuesday said that PM Modi is guilty so he is unable to face it.
“PM is guilty, so he is unable to face it…” RJD chief Lalu Yadav said. When asked about his reported statement that PM Modi will settle abroad after losing the 2024 Lok Sabha election, he said, “He is getting a place outside. He will have to run away like Marcos (Ferdinand Marcos) Former President of the Philippines. He has committed so much of sin…”
Notably, Opposition leaders have been continuously cornering the Central government over the issue of Manipur in the Parliament since the first day of the monsoon session. The Opposition MPs are also demanding a statement from PM Modi inside the Parliament on Manipur.
Firm on the demand that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should make a statement in Parliament on the Manipur situation, Congress general secretary KC Venugopal on Tuesday sought to know when he will discuss the “serious issue”.
The Congress leader said members of the Opposition alliance — INDIA — were ready for a discussion on the Manipur situation, but only if PM Modi attends the session.
Speaking to ANI ahead of the start of the ninth day of the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament, Venugopal said, “We are ready for any discussion. We also told as much to the Rajya Sabha chairman. If the Prime Minister comes to the House and makes a statement (on Manipur), we are ready for a discussion. When is he going to discuss this serious issue in Parliament? Why is PM running away from a discussion?”
On whether the government should reach out to the Opposition to end the deadlock in Parliament over Manipur, the Congress leader said, “You have to ask this question to the ruling BJP leadership. When are they going to speak up on these matters? For the past 90 days, Manipur has been burning. Unprecedented incidents (of violence) have happened there.”
Taking a dig at PM Modi over his brief statement on Manipur before the Parliament convened for the Monsoon Session on July 20, the Congress leader said, “Prime Minister spoke merely for thirty seconds on the Manipur situation.”
The 21-member delegation of the grand Opposition alliance, on Saturday, arrived on a two-day visit to the state, which has seen ethnic strife and violence since May 3.
The leaders returned to Delhi on Sunday afternoon.
The violence in Manipur erupted after a rally by the All Tribal Students Union of Manipur (ATSUM) on May 3 in protest against the proposed inclusion of people belonging to the Meitei community in the list of Scheduled Tribes (STs).