On the third working day of the monsoon session, both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha failed to transact significant business and were adjourned ahead of time. While Opposition members pressed on with their demands for a discussion on Manipur violence with loud sloganeering and raising placards of the INDIA Opposition grouping in the Lower House, Union Home Minister made a short address to members. Meanwhile, in the Rajya Sabha, Aam Aadmi Party floor leader Sanjay Singh was suspended for the remainder part of the Monsoon Session on Monday by Chairman Rajya Sabha Jagdeep Dhankhar.
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The demand for answers on the Manipur violence has rocked proceedings since the maiden day of this year’s monsoon session on Thursday, with the Opposition asking for a statement from the Prime Minister and a discussion on the situation in the strife-torn Northeastern State.
The monsoon session commenced a day after a video clip purportedly shot on May 4 and showing two women being paraded naked by a mob in a Manipur village in the Thoubal district went viral, triggering a nationwide outrage. The Manipur Police has made six arrests so far and registered a case of abduction, gang rape and murder,
Lok Sabha
As the session began to the din of slogans in the morning, Opposition members from the Congress, the DMK, Left parties and others were on their feet. Speaker Om Birla allowed Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury to speak. Mr. Chowdhury demanded that the Prime Minister make a suo motu statement on the floor of the House. Speaker Om Birla assured the House of a discussion on the Manipur issue from noon onwards but added that the Opposition does not get to decide who responds. He urged the Opposition not to disrupt Question Hour as protesting MPs displayed placards that read ‘INDIA for Manipur’ and ‘INDIA demands PM statement on Manipur in Parliament’ and raised slogans. The speaker adjourned the House till noon after 25 minutes and an incomplete Question Hour.
The House did transact some legislative business upon reconvening only to be adjourned till 2 p.m.; three Bills were introduced and one withdrawn. While the government withdrew the contentious DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2019, it introduced the National Dental Commission Bill, 2023, the National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill, 2023 and the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023.
The withdrawn Bill seeks to regulate the use and application of Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) technology for the purposes of establishing the identity of certain categories of people, including victims, offenders, suspects, undertrials, and those missing and unidentified dead.
In July 2019, the Centre had introduced the Bill, which was then referred to the Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment, Forests and Climate Change for examination.
Upon reconvening post lunch, the House could once again function for a few minutes before being adjourned till 2:30. As it resumed amind chaos, Speaker Om Birla urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who was present in the House, to address the members.
“Members from both Opposition and Treasury Benches have asked for a discussion on this sensitive issue (Manipur violence). I am ready to have this discussion in the House, I am not aware why the Opposition does not want to let it happen,” Mr. Shah said, urging the members to let such a discussion take place so that the nation could know the truth about the critical issue.
Rajya Sabha
The day commenced with relative calm in the Rajya Sabha, with AITC MP Saket Gokhale being sworn in as a new member. Eleven notices for a short-duration discussion, and 27 notices for suspension of business of the House were received by the Chair, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar.
Proceedings took a turn after TMC leader Derek O’Brien asked the Chair why he was not reading out the party affiliations for the rule 267 notices from Opposition members, while he mentioned BJP members by party affiliation. After a war of words, and amid Opposition protests, the House was adjourned till noon.
On recommencing at noon, the Chair made a brief attempt to hold Question Hour, but protests about the Manipur issue continued. As the Union Minister for Jal Shakti responded to a question about tap water connections in northern coastal Andhra Pradesh, there was no let up in the protests.
AAP floor leader Sanjay Singh entered the well of the House at around 12:10, demanding a debate on the Manipur violence issue. Vice President Dhankhar named him. This was followed by a motion for his suspension for the entirety of the monsoon session by Leader of the House Piyush Goyal. The resolution was passed by voice vote amid a loud chorus of protests from Opposition members, several now on their feet.
Mr. Singh continued to sit in his chair after the House adjourned. The floor leaders of all INDIA parties went to meet Mr. Dhankhar calling Mr. Singh’s suspension “disproportionate”.
Proceedings in the second half of the day in the Upper House, which lasted barely a few minutes, were dominated by AAP MP Sanjay Singh’s suspension from the House. Earlier in the day, the AAP floor leader was suspended for the remainder part of the Monsoon Session on July 24 by Chairman Rajya Sabha Jagdeep Dhankhar.
Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh requested the MP to leave the House once proceedings resumed at 2.00 p.m., but adjourned the Rajya Sabha for an hour as the Opposition continued to protest. At 3.00 p.m. too, the Deputy Chairman requested Mr. Sanjay Singh to leave the House, while the Opposition continued to chant “Manipur, Manipur” in the background. Mr. Harivansh Singh then adjourned the House until Tuesday morning.
Compiled by Priyali Prakash, Sruthi Darbhamulla, Sumeda, and Diksha Munjal.
