No-trust debate: Opposition parties slam government for its failure to contain Manipur violence

 Manipur has been burning for the last three months and the government has hardly done anything to restore peace in the state, said Manish Tewari

Parliamentarians in the Lok Sabha during the Monsoon session of Parliament, in New Delhi.

PTI, New Delhi, 08.08.23 : Several opposition leaders, including Congress MP Manish Tewari, on Tuesday targeted the government, alleging that it has failed to contain the violence in BJP-led states of Manipur and Haryana.

Participating in the debate on the no-confidence motion against the government, Tewari in Lok Sabha said it has "failed" on various fronts, including national security, economic growth, communal harmony and independence of institutions, in the last nine years. This is unfortunate, he said.

Manipur has been burning for the last three months and the government has hardly done anything to restore peace in the state, he claimed, adding that the Northeast is strategic in nature and disturbance in any state in that region has a bearing on national security.

He also alleged that despite the border row with China, trade deficit with the country is rising.

Sougata Roy's scathing attack

TMC MP Sougata Roy launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Modi, accusing him of not believing in parliamentary democracy and highlighting the grim situation in Manipur. He criticised the government's handling of the sensitive issue, particularly the incidents of violence and human rights violations.

Rijiju lauds govt's achievements

Minister of Earth Sciences and Lok Sabha member Rijiju praised the government's achievements, laying emphasis on the positive changes brought about since 2014. He noted the reduction in racial discrimination and atrocities faced by people from the Northeast in major cities. Rijiju also credited the Prime Minister's focused attention for India's record-breaking performance at the 2020 Olympics.

Ariff on Modi's record

CPI(M) member A M Ariff alleged Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set the record of attending House proceedings the least number of times. While Manipur was burning, the prime minister went to France and delivered a speech on world peace, he claimed.

As the government failed in its duty, the Supreme Court had to appoint a three-member committee to oversee relief and rehabilitation of victims and compensation, the MP alleged.

The Supreme Court on Monday had ordered setting up of a committee of three former women high court judges to oversee relief and rehabilitation of victims in the ethnic-violence hit state and compensation to them besides asking former Maharashtra police chief Dattatray Padsalgikar to monitor the probe in criminal cases.

Observing that its effort is to restore people's faith in the rule of law in the Northeastern state, the top court also decided to monitor the overall situation there. The court said the three-member panel will be submitting reports to it directly.

The CPI(M) MP said after Manipur, now it is Haryana which is burning. Both states have governments led by the BJP and their "double engine" government seems to be promoting a "divisive agenda", Ariff said and added that another "divisive agenda is Uniform Civil Code (UCC)".

Six people, including two home guards and a cleric, died in last week's communal clashes that erupted when a Vishva Hindu Parishad procession was attacked by mobs in Nuh and later spread to adjoining Gurugram.

Demanding immediate removal of Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh, RSP's N K Premchandran said this is a fit case for the use of Article 356 to impose President's Rule for failure of the law and order machinery in the state.

Not removing the chief minister is an indication that the Centre is indirectly supporting the action or inaction of the state government, the MP alleged.

He said the prime minister should call an all-party meeting, and confidence building measures should be undertaken immediately to stop the "internal war" going on between two communities in Manipur.

Situation in Manipur so far

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

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals - Nagas and Kukis - constitute little over 40 per cent and reside in the hill districts.

Speaking on other issues, Premchandran claimed that the economy has gone from bad to worse, the agriculture sector is in a bad shape and unemployment has risen to eight per cent.

Lok Sabha was adjourned to meet again on Wednesday and continue debate on the no-confidence motion.