Parliament proceedings | Finance Minister terms Opposition’s refusal to discuss Manipur under Rule 176 in Rajya Sabha as ‘running away’
The Hindu
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman criticised the Opposition’s refusal to discuss Manipur in Parliament, despite a discussion being listed in the Rajya Sabha
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on July 31 said that the Opposition, and their shedding of “crocodile tears”, had been exposed to the public by their refusal to discuss Manipur in Parliament, despite a discussion being listed in the Rajya Sabha.
“We have been hearing again and again from the Opposition that the government is not ready to discuss Manipur. But today, when a discussion had been scheduled and the Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha had also said a discussion will happen, the Opposition, which hasn’t spoken of anything other than a discussion on Manipur, ran away,” Ms. Sitharaman said at a press briefing outside Parliament.
She also named Opposition MPs, including John Brittas of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), Manoj Jha of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), G.C. Chandrashekhar of the Congress, Fauzia Khan of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and Elamaram Kareem of the CPI(M) from a list of 20 MPs, both Treasury and Opposition, who had sent notices asking for a discussion on Manipur under Rule 176 of the Rules of Business.
Also read: Explained | Why is the Opposition insisting on a debate about Manipur under Rule 267?
The Opposition had protested the taking up of a discussion on Manipur under Rule 176, also termed a short duration discussion, which entails discussion but not voting on the matter at the end of it. Various Opposition parties have instead demanded that the discussion be held under Rule 267, which entails suspension of all business for the discussion on the said topic, that can go on for indeterminate time, and entails voting at the end.
Ms. Sitharaman said that the Opposition’s demand was something that was within the purview of the Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha, but more importantly, eight days had gone by in the session, and while a discussion under Rule 267 was for really urgent matters, she asked, “People have visited the State since the incident first came to light. Doesn’t the Opposition want to talk about what they saw?”
Also read | Manipur — this is not a time for finger-pointing
The Opposition Congress demanded that the government open the Gandhi Vatika Museum, depicting Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy and freedom struggle, built at a cost of ₹85 crore in Jaipur’s Central Park last year, during the Congress-led regime in Rajasthan. The museum has not been opened to the public, reportedly because of the administration’s engagements with the State Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.
Almaya Munnettam (Lay People to the Fore), group in the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese of the Syro-Malabar Church opposed to the synod-recommended Mass, rejected a circular issued by Major Archbishop Raphael Thattil and apostolic administrator Bosco Puthur on June 9 to implement the unified Mass in the archdiocese from July 3.
Pakistan coach Gary Kirsten stated that “not so great decision making” contributed to his side’s defeat to India in the Group-A T20 World Cup clash here on Sunday. The batting unit came apart in the chase, after being well placed at 72 for two. With 48 runs needed from eight overs, Pakistan found a way to panic and lose. “Maybe not so great decision making,” Kirsten said at the post-match press conference, when asked to explain the loss.