The Parliament will finally see the Opposition talking about the Manipur issue as they have been demanding since the Monsoon Session began on July 20. Rajya Sabha's Leader of the House Piyush Goyal on Monday morning announced that the Central government was willing to hold a discussion under Rule 176 on the violence in Manipur at 2 pm.
However, there is conflict over under which rule the debate will be held. The Opposition parties were not in agreement with the discussion and insisted on a debate under Rule 267 of the House.
Rule 267 of the Rajya Sabha rulebook permits the suspension of the day's business to engage in a debate on any issue proposed by a member. By invoking this rule, the Opposition seeks to prioritise the discussion on the Manipur issue and allocate more time for the deliberations.
For more information on the rules, check this explainer here. As Monday's session progressed, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar informed the House that he had received 65 notices under Rule 267. He further emphasised that this rule is rarely evoked, and the last instance of its use was in 2018.
Contrary to the opposition's demand, Leader of the House Piyush Goyal reiterated the government's readiness for a discussion on the Manipur issue under Rule 176 at 2 pm. He expressed concern that the Opposition was attempting to misuse the freedom granted to members, indicating their alleged obstruction of important parliamentary proceedings over the last nine days.
INDIA party leaders to meet Rajya Sabha, Lok Sabha speakers
Meanwhile, it has been reported that the INDIA alliance's party leaders on the floor are planning to meet with Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
They will reportedly demand that the
Members of Parliament (MPs) delegation who visited Manipur should be permitted to speak in their respective Houses. The MPs' firsthand accounts are expected to shed light on the ground reality of the situation in Manipur and further inform the parliamentary deliberations on the issue.
