As the legislative assembly commenced business on Friday, Congress members wasted no time in demanding a discussion on the heinous incidents that came to light in Manipur the previous day. However, Speaker Rahul Narvekar emphasized that for fruitful deliberations, members must raise the issue using proper parliamentary procedures and declined their request for immediate discussions, prompting the members to stage a walkout.
Mumbai Congress Chief and MLA Varsha Gaikwad promptly raised the issue as the session began.
“The incidents in Manipur that have come to light are heinous. The house should deplore the acts that denigrated women and should resolve in favor of the women to ensure justice is done to them. The house should also condemn the union government for not doing anything in the case of Manipur,” Gaikwad stated passionately.
However, Speaker Adv Narvekar sought clarification from Gaikwad regarding the parliamentary tool she intended to use to initiate the debate. While he acknowledged that the entire house was deeply shaken by the appalling videos, Narvekar emphasized the necessity of adhering to established parliamentary procedures for a meaningful discussion.
“Discussions in the house cannot be conducted according to the whims of any one member or a group. It has a set procedure to raise an issue, and it must be followed,” Narvekar asserted firmly, in response to Gaikwad and other opposition members who began raising slogans to deplore the act in Manipur.
Despite persistent sloganeering by the opposition members, the Speaker stood firm in not allowing a discussion on the issue without proper adherence to parliamentary rules, leading to the walkout.
“Incidents in Manipur are being deplored from all across the nation. We had demanded a discussion over the issue in the house. All the women members of the Congress were demanding discussion in the house. However, we were denied a chance to speak. It appeared as if the Speaker was not ready to listen to us. Hence we condemned the government and staged a walkout,” Gaikwad expressed her disappointment while addressing the media in the Vidhan Sabha premises later.
Congress MLA Yawhomati Thakur, as the Congress members staged a demonstration on the steps of Vidhan Bhavan, reiterated the gravity of the acts in Manipur, stating that they were so deplorable that both the BJP governments in Manipur and at the center deserved dismissal over the issue.
