Centre vs Opposition: Parliament logjam persists; Opp insists on PM's statement

New Delhi [India], July 24 : Prospect of an immediate end to the parliamentary logjam appeared bleak as the entire Opposition INDIA  is insiting for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement on Manipur issue while the BJP-led NDA government said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah will speak on the issue.
Meanwhile, Opposition MPs of the Rajya Sabha continue their sit-in protest over the suspension of AAP MP Sanjay Singh for the current session of the Parliament as well as Manipur issue.
Urging the opposition party MPs in Lok Sabha to let the House function smoothly during the ongoing Monsoon session of Parliament, Amit Shah said that he is ready for discussion on Manipur issue and that it is important that the country gets to know the truth on this "sensitive" matter.
While Shah was speaking sloganeering continued from opposition benches with a few MPs leaving their seats and raising placards in the House with "INDIA stands with Manipur people", written on them.
"I urge all the respected members of the opposition that on a very sensitive issue, many members have demanded a discussion by the ruling party and the opposition, I am ready for the discussion. I do not know why the opposition does not want to allow discussion," Shah said.
"I request the leader of the opposition to let the discussion happen and this truth should be known to the whole country, it is very important," he added.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge trained guns at Bharatiya Janata Party after the BJP cited incidents of crime across the country to counter the Opposition’s demand for a discussion on the Manipur violence issue in the ongoing monsoon session of the Parliament.
While talking to ANI, the Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition said that the Opposition has the right to question here in the Parliament.
“Are you comparing any one state to Manipur (situation)? There is no law and order there. Has this been happening anywhere else? It is not right to take someone else's example to hide their weakness. You have the right to speak there (in the states concerned), you have your people there. We have the right to question here in the Parliament, so we are doing it,” Mallikarjun Kharge said.
Kharge further said that the Opposition wants the Manipur issue to be discussed in the Parliament but the government is “not ready” for the same.
“It is not the first time that anyone walked up to the Well to protest. Representatives always do that. There is Freedom of Speech in a democracy...But the intention of the government is to stifle the voices in one or the other way...We want discussion as per rule but they are not ready...The Manipur issue is a major one. It is not a small issue...This needs to be discussed and the PM should say what action is the government going to take. Why is he not doing so is beyond understanding?" he added.
Opposition parties continued their protest in the two Houses of Parliament over their demands relating to the debate on the Manipur leading to the suspension of Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh. 
In Rajya Sabha, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar suspended AAP Sanjay Singh for the remainder of the monsoon session of Parliament for “repeatedly violating” the Chair’s directives.
The Chairman first named Sanjay Singh for interrupting the proceedings of the House when it had taken up the Question Hour amid protests by the Opposition over its demand for a statement from Prime Minister on the Manipur violence and a detailed discussion on the issue.
Sanjay Singh came near the Chairman’s podium over opposition demands. Dhankhar told him to resume his seat. As the AAP member kept protesting, the Chairman named him.
Soon after the Chairman named Sanjay Singh, Leader of the House Piyush Goyal moved a motion urging the Chair to suspend the AAP member, saying this kind of behaviour “is completely against the ethics and rules of the House.”
Sanjay Singh should be suspended from the entire session of the House, he said.
The Chairman put the motion for approval of the House and said Sanjay Singh was being suspended for the remainder of the monsoon session of Parliament "for having repeatedly violated the directives of the Chair".
AAP has been among opposition parties demanding a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Parliament on the situation in Manipur and a detailed discussion on the issue.
Meanwhile, Uddhav Thackeray faction leader Sanjay Raut reiterated that the opposition demands Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make a detailed statement on the ongoing violence in noth eastern state.
Reacting to the video of two women being stripped, molested and paraded naked on May 4, a day after violence broke out in Manipur, Raut said, "Can't we raise our voice and question the government in the Parliament after women in Manipur are being murdered, raped and paraded naked?"
"We want to know what the govt has done and what is the role of the Prime Minister?" he added.
Jaya Bachchan, Samanjwadi Party MP while speaking to ANI outside Parliament premises said, "What more can I say that Manipur is being discussed internationally but not in our country... It is a matter of shame".
Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj called the suspension of Aam Admi Party MP Sanjay Singh for the remainder of the Monsoon Session of Parliament for “repeatedly violating” the Chair’s directives as "very unfortunate" and said the party's legal team will look into the matter.
Reacting to his party colleagues' suspension, AAP leader Bharadwaj said, "If Sanjay Singh is suspended for raising his voice for the truth, then we will not be upset. Our legal team will look into this matter".
"It is very unfortunate. I do not have much information on this matter," Bharadwaj, a senior AAP leader, said.
In a counter to the opposition parties' attack, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also staged a protest in front of the Gandhi statue at the Parliament premises over atrocities against women in Rajasthan and West Bengal as well as other states.
Meanwhile, Union Defence minister also said that we are ready for the discussion on the issue of Manipur. 
“We are fully ready for discussion on the issue of Manipur. But the opposition is not serious about the discussion that should be held on the incident in Manipur," Rajnath Singh tweeted. 
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said that the government was willing for discussion and the opposition parties were trying to interrupt the proceedings of the House.
The government has said it is prepared to discuss the situation in Manipur.
Moreover, Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said that discussions should also be held on whatever is happening in West Bengal and Rajasthan.
The Union Minister said that discussions should be held in "totality" including Manipur, wherever atrocities against women are taking place.
"Opposition wanted a discussion on Manipur and the government agreed to it. Now sometimes they (the opposition) say, the PM has come to the House, and sometimes they say something else. But it (discussion) should be on Bengal, Rajasthan also. Now, what is their problem if the issue (atrocities against women) is discussed in totality?" the Union Minister added.
The House could tansact a few business with tabling of papers at 11 am when it faced first adjournment as th Opposition started raising the issue requesting the Chair to consider their notices on suspension of business of the Upper House to conduct a detailed discussion on the matter.
Earlier, Union Minister Rajnath Singh had a telephonic conversation with senior opposition leaders regarding disruptions in Parliament over their demands related to the situation in Manipur and urged them to ensure smooth functioning of Parliament.
BJP sources said Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and Trinamool Congress leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay were among the leaders who have been contacted by the government to end the logjam in Parliament.
Union Minister Smriti Irani said that the Congress is “running away” from the discussion over Manipur in Parliament while the government is ready to hold talks in both houses.
While addressing a press conference at the party headquarter here, Irani alleged that the Opposition is ‘dodging’ the discussion over the situation in Manipur because they themselves will have to fix the accountability over crimes against women in their respective states.
"Amit Shah ji, today appealed to all the members of the Opposition to initiate a debate or discussion on the issue of affliction in the state of Manipur. Amit Shah ji has repeatedly said that we are ready for the discussion in both Houses of the Parliament, but the Opposition is running away from discussion on Manipur...,” she said.
"The Opposition is running away as they know they will have to answer on crimes against women in their states but I want to appeal that stop using crime against women as instruments to settle political scores,” she added.
Dhankhar then said he had received 27 notices under Rule 267.
TMC leader Derek O’Brien sought to raise the demands of opposition parties. The Chairman cautioned him and adjourned the House till 12 noon.
The House briefly took up government’s legislative agenda among sloganeering by opposition members.
The government withdrew DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2019.
Three bills - The National Dental Commission Bill, 2023, The National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill, 2023 and the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023 were introduced in the Lok Sabha.
The first two days of the monsoon session were almost washed out over Opposition’s demands related to Manipur violence. The Opposition has rejected the government's proposal for a short-duration discussion.
The Monsoon session of Parliament began on July 20 and will continue till August 11.