Morning Digest | Manipur debate in Rajya Sabha lost in a maze of rules; China goes 10 months without envoy in India ahead of key meetings, and more

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Amit Shah appeals for peace in Manipur, backs Chief Minister Biren Singh

Home Minister Amit Shah made an appeal to both the Meitei and Kuki communities in Manipur to shun violence and enter into a dialogue with each other and with the Union government, which he said had no intentions of effecting demographic changes in the State. He was speaking in the Lok Sabha, during the debate on the no-confidence motion moved by the Opposition against the Narendra Modi-led government. The appeal was made at the end of Mr. Shah’s speech, which ran for more than two hours. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla also asked members to support the peace appeal. Congress leader in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary, asked that a draft of the appeal be first worked out and a formal resolution to the effect be passed in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, with a large number of MPs in the treasury bench raising their hands in support, the appeal was made and the House adjourned.

Manipur debate in Rajya Sabha lost in a maze of rules

With just two sittings remaining in the monsoon session of Parliament, the debate on Manipur is unlikely to be held in the Rajya Sabha, with the two sides sticking to their respective positions. Both sides claim that they want the subject to be debated but have differed on the rule under which it can be taken up. The government, according to sources, will still try to push through a debate on Friday, the last day of the session. The debate is lost in the complicated maze of parliamentary rules. The Opposition’s original demand was to hold the debate under Rule 267, which requires suspending the day’s business and stipulates the Prime Minister’s presence in the House as non-negotiable. The government insisted on a debate under Rule 176, which entails a short duration discussion.

China goes 10 months without envoy in India ahead of key meetings

China has made no indications of appointing an Ambassador to India even after a record 10-month gap without an envoy in New Delhi, a delay described by observers as “unusual” ahead of key possible meetings between the leaders of the two countries and the upcoming G-20 Summit in India. Chinese envoy Sun Weidong took up a post in Beijing as Vice Foreign Minister in October 2022. Since then, Chinese President Xi Jinping has made a slew of new ambassadorial appointments, but no appointment has been made for India. The post in India – which is among the top ten coveted posts for Chinese diplomats as the Ambassador acquires a rank of Vice Foreign Minister, as is the case for envoys to the United States, United Kingdom and Japan – hasn’t gone empty for such a long period in recent memory.

Pakistan President Alvi dissolves Parliament at PM Shehbaz Sharif’s advice