Anurag Thakur Urges Oppn With Folded Hands To Debate On Manipur In Parliament

India

oi-Prakash KL

After
the
first
two
days
of
the
ongoing
monsoon
session
of
the
Parliament
were
washed
out,
Union
minister
Anurag
Thakur
on
Sunday
appealed
to
the
opposition
parties
“with
folded
hands”
to
join
the
debate
on
the
Manipur
issue.

The
Minister
also
urged
the
Opposition
not
to
politicise
the
issue
of
atrocities
against
women
in
Manipur.
His
appeal
came
after
the
anti-BJP
parties
cornered
the
government
on
the
issue
in
both
houses
of
the
Parliament.

The
Opposition
parties
have
planned
joint
protests
in
Parliament
on
Monday
on
the
situation
in
Manipur.
They
have
been
demanding
a
statement
from
Prime
Minister
Narendra
Modi
in
Parliament
before
starting
a
discussion
on
the
issue.

The
Monsoon
session
of
Parliament
began
on
July
20
and
has
witnessed
disruptions
over
the
ethnic
violence
in
Manipur,
particularly
over
a
video
purportedly
shot
on
May
4,
depicting
atrocities
against
women
in
the
state.

However,
the
Centre
has
been
insisting
that
Home
Minister
Amit
Shah
will
speak
on
the
issue
and
not
the
Prime
Minister.
“Atrocities
against
women
are
painful,
no
matter
which
state
the
victims
belong
to.
It
is
the
responsibility
of
the
state
to
curb
such
incidents,”
Thakur
said.

He
said
the
government
is
keen
on
a
discussion
on
the
issue
of
atrocities
on
women,
which
are
prevalent
in
states
such
as
Rajasthan,
Bihar,
West
Bengal
and
Manipur.

“We
wish
that
there
should
be
a
good
discussion
on
this
in
the
House,
where
all
political
parties
will
participate.
Nobody
should
run
away
from
the
debate.
It
is
my
request
to
the
opposition
with
folded
hands,
do
not
run
away
from
the
discussion,”
the
Bharatiya
Janata
Party
(BJP)
leader
said.

“The
opposition
does
all
this
to
remain
in
discussion,
but
it
does
nothing
to
join
the
discussion,”
Anurag
Thakur
said
when
asked
about
the
protests
on
the
Manipur
issue.

More
than
160
people
have
lost
their
lives,
and
several
have
been
injured
since
ethnic
violence
broke
out
in
the
state
on
May
3,
when
a
‘Tribal
Solidarity
March’ was
organised
in
the
hill
districts
to
protest
against
the
Meitei
community’s
demand
for
Scheduled
Tribe
(ST)
status.

Meanwhile,
the
Congress
slammed
Minister
Thakur,
calling
his
latest
appeal
as
“theatrics”.
Your
theatrics
don’t
conceal
the
fact
that
PM
Modi
is
scared
to
face
Parliament.
Let
him
come
make
a
statement
—
followed
by
a
detailed
discussion.
We
will
collectively
assure
Manipur.
Is
he
willing?” Congress
leader
Supriya
Shrinate
tweeted.