New Delhi: The Congress on Monday slammed the BJP government after both the Houses of Parliament were adjourned amid demand for a detailed discussion on Manipur violence saying that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi is afraid of speaking inside the House.
Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters, Congress Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi said: “If you look at the actions of the BJP inside the Parliament over the last few days, it is clear that the Prime Minister is afraid of speaking inside the House.”
“He (Modi) was scared to debate the issue inside Parliament. We have heard the ministers of the ruling party saying that they are ready for a discussion, we have said we are ready for a discussion. The only person who has not said anything inside Parliament is the Prime Minister,” Gogoi said.
He said that it is absolutely clear that the Prime Minister has no intention of raising the issue of Manipur inside the Parliament.
Congress leader said that Modi will only know better, is it because of the gross mismanagement of his Central government and the state government, is it the guilt that he has failed the people of Manipur or is it that he simply has no answers as to why he is allowing the Chief Minister of Manipur N. Biren Singh to continue in his position.
He said that Modi has absolutely no answers and that’s why as Congress Rajya Sabha MP Shaktisinh Gohil said — at the beginning of Parliament, the Prime Minister said a few words to the media outside the Parliament and that’s it.
“He has nothing more to say. Why is the Prime Minister so unwilling, so afraid to speak inside the Parliament? He can go to the United States and address a joint session of American policy makers in the US Congress or their version of Parliament, but he cannot speak inside our nation’s Parliament…. he can go to France and hug Emmanuel Macron, but he cannot go to Manipur and hug the victims of rape, hug the victims who have lost their family members,” he said.
He also said that it is absolutely clear and especially from the statement today made by the Union Home Minister Amit Shah that the BJP is shielding the Prime Minister from speaking inside Parliament, they just want a symbolic discussion, a short duration discussion.
“They want to treat Manipur as an ordinary law and order issue, and they want to have a regular discussion under 193 or under separate rule in the Rajya Sabha where the chairman or the speaker can curtail the time and instead of having a broad-based discussion, instead of we the people of India asking the Prime Minister as to why he has not visited Manipur… as to why he is allowing this government to continue, we will not be allowed to raise these questions to the Prime Minister or hear his answers,” Gogoi added.
Meanwhile, after both the House were adjourned on Monday, speaking to media, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also slammed the BJP for comparing the incidents of other states with Manipur.
Kharge said: “Why compare any other state with Manipur. There is no law and order there. For last 80 days such things are going on. They are doing this to hide their weakness, then why to take example of other states.”
He also said that 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,” the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha added.
(IANS)
