Opposition focuses on Manipur; Treasury on government performance and viability of INDIA grouping

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Lok Sabha debate on the no-confidence motion against the government started on Tuesday with the Opposition speakers trying to focus their discourse mostly on the Manipur issue while the ruling side used the debate to showcase the performance of the Modi government and to question the viability of the Opposition INDIA grouping. As soon as Gaurav Gogoi (Congress) stood up to speak, parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi asked why Rahul Gandhi was not starting the debate despite communicating so to the Speaker's office. Gogoi asked how ministers knew and publicised what was happening in the Speaker's office.

Even as home minister Amit Shah objected to Gogoi's remarks, Joshi said he was referring to media reports. Focussing his speech on Manipur, Gogoi said 'INDIA' had to bring the no-confidence motion to force Prime Minister Narendra Modi to break his silence on the Manipur issue. «Why did the PM not visit Manipur to date? Why did it take almost 80 days for him to finally speak on Manipur and that too just for 30 seconds? Why has the chief minister of Manipur not been sacked so far,» Gogoi asked.

«Manipur demands justice. Martin Luther King Jr had said injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. If Manipur is burning, the whole of India is burning, if Manipur is divided, the country is divided.

It was our demand that as the leader of the country, Prime Minister Modi should come to the House and speak about Manipur,» he added and pointed out that the PM has been silent on issues such as border tension with China and the Adani matter. The approach of BJP opener Nishikant Dubey made it clear that the ruling side would rather set its own agenda than getting bogged down on the Manipur issue. Setting the tone,