Oppn stages walkout from Assembly over Manipur crisis, demands President’s rule in violence-hit state

All the women legislators from the opposition MVA — Congress, Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and Shiv Sena (UBT) — took an "aggressive stand" in the House, and staged a protest in its well, demanding a discussion on the Manipur incident

After the Speaker Rahul Narvekar did not allow them to discuss the matter, the opposition staged a walk out from the House, and the Congress MLAs alleged that it was "insensitive" of the Speaker to avoid discussion on such incidents in Manipur.

Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) MLAs staged a walkout from the Assembly on Friday after Speaker Rahul Narvekar denied permission for a discussion on the Manipur situation, two days after a video emerged of two women being disrobed and paraded naked in the violence-hit state.

All the women legislators from the opposition MVA — Congress, Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and Shiv Sena (UBT) — took an “aggressive stand” in the House, and staged a protest in its well, demanding a discussion on the Manipur incident. The woman legislators including Congress’s Yashomati Thakur and Varsha Gaikwad urged Speaker Narvekar to allow them to discuss the issue in the House, and raised slogans.

Denying the permission, Narvekar, however, said that there was no advance notice for the discussion and he would allow them to discuss the same once the necessary formalities are in place. After the Speaker did not allow them to discuss the matter, the opposition staged a walk out from the House, and the Congress MLAs alleged that it was “insensitive” of the Speaker to avoid discussion on such incidents in Manipur.

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“In Manipur, a woman’s brother and father were killed. Later, the women were paraded naked and gangraped. When women are being gangraped in our country, we need to hang our heads in shame. It is shameful for all of us that such incidents are taking place in Manipur… Since Modiji has come to power, women have been suffering. This is not only about Manipur. This is an issue of our country’s image in the world… Modiji is not saying anything on the Manipur issue in the Parliament. Here, in the Assembly, we wanted to raise the issue, but were denied permission by the Speaker. This means they have no seriousness about such cruelties faced by the women in our country. This is very shameful, and there is a need for introspection,” said Congress MLA Praniti Shinde after walking out of the Assembly.

Earlier in the day, the opposition also staged a protest against the state and central governments outside Vidhan Bhavan over the Manipur incident, and demanded the dismissal of the N Biren Singh-led government in Manipur with the imposition of the President’s rule there. The opposition MLAs raised slogans like “BJP hatao, desh bachao” while displaying banners outside the House.

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Leaders from the Shiv Sena (UBT) — MLA Aaditya Thackeray, Ambadas Danve – the leader of opposition in the legislative council, MP Sanjay Raut — also echoed the same demands, while slamming Prime Minister Narendra Modi for speaking about the issue after two months. They said that he “shed crocodile tears” after 80 days, only after the video of the horrendous incident surfaced recently.

Taking to Twitter, Aaditya said that such incidents in Manipur were a matter of “national shame”. “What is happening in Manipur is horrible, inhuman, and a national shame. A Kargil war veteran’s wife is one of the victims.

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And the government does not act. You speak about patriotism. Is this how you reward patriotism? You do not need to be a woman or a war veteran to feel the pain, anger, and disgust. The President’s rule must be imposed in Manipur.

Internet and information shutdown are not the answer… shut down the inhuman violence that is plaguing Manipur,” Aaditya tweeted.

This article went live on July twenty-first, twenty twenty-three, at one minutes past eleven at night.

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