Rajya Sabha adjourned after uproar over Manipur issue

Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the fourth time on Monday till 3.30 pm as the opposition kept insisting on a discussion on the Manipur issue under Rule 267 of the House, even after the government agreed to a short-duration discussion and the chairman announced its initiation.

As the House reassembled at 2 pm after two adjournments in the pre-lunch period, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said the government has agreed to a short-duration discussion on the situation in strife-torn Manipur under Rule 176 and called the name of Birendra Prasad Baishya (BJP) to initiate it.

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Amid an uproar in the Upper House of Parliament, the chairman announced that the leader of the House and opposition leaders should meet him at his chamber at 2:45 pm to resolve the issue.

Later, he held a meeting with the leader of the House, opposition leaders, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi and Minister of State V Muraleedharan.

Dhankhar adjourned the House for the fourth time during the day till 3:30 pm amid the continued din created by the opposition leaders.

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"The government is extremely keen (for a discussion on the Manipur issue)," the chairman said earlier amid the uproar.
In the morning, Leader of the House Piyush Goyal told the Rajya Sabha that the government was ready for a discussion on Manipur and urged the Chair to begin it from 2 pm itself.

The chairman told the House that he has rejected all notices received under Rule 267 from the opposition members as he has already agreed to a short-duration discussion under Rule 176.

When the opposition members insisted on a discussion under Rule 267, Dhankhar said, "Notices under Rule 267 have not been admitted by me. They have been declined by me."

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As the uproar continued, the chairman first adjourned the House till 2.30 pm and then again till 3.30 pm.

Earlier in the day, when the chair asked the opposition if it was agreeable to a discussion, Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge insisted that it should only be under Rule 267.

"We have demanded a discussion under Rule 267. Our members have visited Manipur. Manipur is burning.... We want (a discussion) under Rule 267....," the Congress leader said.

As the shouting continued, the chair adjourned the House till noon.

When the House reassembled, Dhankhar allowed Kharge to speak, but the ruling party members were on their feet and did not allow him to speak.

"Though it is the Question Hour, as an extraordinary case, I am allowing the leader of opposition (to speak)," the chairman said.

With Kharge on his feet, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members created an uproar and did not allow him to speak, forcing the chair to adjourn the house till 2 pm.

Rule 267 of the Rajya Sabha rulebook allows for the suspension of the day's business to debate on any issue suggested by a member.

The Rajya Sabha proceedings have continuously been disrupted since the House met for the Monsoon session on July 20. The opposition members have been creating an uproar, demanding a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, followed by a comprehensive discussion on the ethnic violence in Manipur.

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