Opposition walks out of Parliamentary panel meeting after plea to discuss Manipur violence is denied
Opposition members walk out of a parliamentary committee meeting after their request to discuss the situation in Manipur is denied. The letter submitted by TMC and Congress members stated that the situation in Manipur cannot be overlooked.
FollowDramatic scenes were witnessed during the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs meeting on Thursday with opposition members staging a walkout after their request to discuss the situation in Manipur was denied by the panel chief, as per sources familiar with the matter.
According to reports, the meeting was originally aimed to address prison reforms in Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh. However, TMC's Derek O'Brien and Congress' Digvijaya Singh and Pradip Bhattacharya submitted a joint letter to committee chairman Brijlal, expressing their concern that as committee members, they cannot overlook the situation in Manipur.
In the letter, they emphasized their moral and constitutional responsibility to urgently and sincerely discuss the matter, highlighting the need for healing and an end to the violence in Manipur. They also mentioned previous attempts to schedule a meeting on the issue, which were not fulfilled.
Following their walkout, it is reported that the three opposition MPs are unlikely to attend the committee's other scheduled meetings this month. Before leaving, they encouraged BJP MP Biplab Deb, who hails from the Northeast, to join them in their protest.
Derek O'Brien and Digvijaya Singh had previously written to Brijlal, urging him to hold a meeting specifically dedicated to discussing the situation in Manipur. However, the chairperson informed them separately that urgent meetings on the Manipur issue were not possible due to the already scheduled prison reform meetings in July.
Out of the 30-member panel, a total of seven members, including the chairman, were present at the meeting. The ethnic violence in Manipur since May 3 has resulted in over 100 deaths and numerous injuries, highlighting the urgency of the situation.
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