Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, July 25: Even as the union home minister Amit Shah is learnt to have written letters to the opposition parties to end the continued logjam in Parliament over the Manipur issue, the opposition has decided to move a no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi government hoping to force the prime minister to speak on the deplorable situation in the north-eastern state.
Union minister Amit Shah said on Tuesday that he has written to Opposition parties to resolve the ongoing logjam in parliament over the Manipur issue. The Opposition has been demanding a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Manipur, before the House takes up the subject for discussion.
Though badly outnumbered in the Lok Sabha to bring even an iota of threat to the Modi government, the Opposition parties felt that it would be the right forum to raise the issue. “Despite our various pleas, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has refused to make a statement detailing the developments in Manipur post May 3 and what are the measures taken by the government to contain it. This is the only parliamentary tool available to us to force the PM to comment on the situation,” a senior Opposition leader said.
The decision to move a no-confidence motion was taken by the combined opposition INDIA (Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance) parties, in their morning meeting on Tuesday hoping that it would force the prime minister to speak in the House on the Manipur issue. The INDIA parties remain adamant that Parliament can function only when the Prime Minister makes a statement followed by a debate on Manipur.
In the Rajya Sabha, the Opposition moved 51 notices under Rule 267, which requires suspension of the business of the day to have a debate on Manipur, the subject at hand. The government on its part insists that it is ready for a debate on Manipur, but only under a softer rule like under 176 that does not require answers from the Prime Minister or adopt any motion and is merely “talked out.”
Leader of the Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal and Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge exchanged barbs in the Upper House on Tuesday over the debate on Manipur with Kharge demanding the presence of Modi and Goyal saying atrocities on women in opposition-ruled states would also be discussed in the House.
The opposition raised an uproar from the start of the Question Hour when the House met at noon, with members of the Congress and other like-minded parties raising slogans of “Manipur, Manipur.” Kharge said over 50 members have given notices for discussion on the Manipur issue under Rule 267, but the government was not ready.
Goyal countered him by saying Union Home Minister Amit Shah was ready to have a discussion on issues related to atrocities on women in Rajasthan, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Telangana as well. “The Home Minister is ready for that… he would do ‘doodh ka doodh aur paani ka paani’ (differentiate between truth and lies),” he said. Goyal accused the opposition of disturbing the House and not allowing discussions on such a sensitive issue. “This is pointless and we are ready for discussion… we want to have a healthy debate and discussion on this,” he asserted.
Even as reports of violence continue to pour in from the north-eastern state, the Manipur government on Tuesday partially lifted the internet ban, allowing broadband service but keeping the ban on mobile internet. The government reviewed the issue of the ban on internet and ordered the suspension of broadband services to be “lifted conditionally in a liberalised manner,” while continuing the ban on mobile internet.
In an official order, the state home department said the government considered the suffering of the common man as the internet ban had affected important offices, institutions, health facilities, people working from home etc.
Even as access to mobile internet services continue to be snapped, citizens of Manipur can access internet services through the Internet Lease Line (ILL) and Fibre To The Home (FTTH). According to the order, the broadband subscribers can access the connection only through static IP, and they cannot use wifi and hotspot services. Any existing VPN softwares or new VPNs shall be removed from the system, as per the terms and conditions of the order.
The home department also laid down terms and conditions for lifting the ban on broadband service, including blocking social media websites and VPNs at the local level.
“Connection will be only through static IP and that the subscriber concerned shall not accept any other connection other than allowed for the time being,” the order read, adding that the internet service provider will be held responsible for non-compliance.
“No Wifi/ Hotspots shall be allowed from any of the routers and systems using the connection at any cost by the subscriber concerned,” one of the terms and conditions read.
Service providers have been asked to ensure to obtain an undertaking from subscribers before giving any internet connection in the prescribed format without fail.
The government extended the ban on mobile internet services across the state and saying the “preparedness for having effective control and regulatory mechanism for Mobile data service is not technically feasible and there are still apprehensions that the spread of disinformation and false rumours, through various social media platform such as Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter etc.”
Violence first broke out in the state after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts on May 3 to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. So far, more than 150 people have died and several hundred injured, besides thousands taking shelter in relief camps.
