"Anti-Humanity, Anti-India": Mamata Banerjee During Manipur Resolution

A resolution on Manipur was passed by the Bengal assembly today amid much ruckus, protests and paper tearing by BJP members led by Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari. While the BJP contended that Bengal cannot pass a resolution on another state and questioned the status of women in the state during political violence, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee declared that anyone not willing to discuss Manipur is "anti-humanity, anti-peace and anti-India".

"If the Prime Minister is unable to restore peace in Manipur, then let us (INDIA) be allowed to restore peace," Ms Banerjee said amid loud objections and slogan-shouting by BJP members.

"I want to thank the speaker for allowing a discussion on the Manipur that is a burning issue. I thought they (Opposition) would support it," Mamata Banerjee added.

"I am laying on the table of the house letters I have received from Manipur. I am also going to quote from our delegation's letter and then lay it on the table of the house," said the Chief Minister, who visited Manipur over the weekend as part of an opposition delegation.

"Houses have been burned. People are living in camps. 350 churches have been burnt. How do we bring back peace to Manipur?" she added.

Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari contended that the discussion is illegal as the matter is sub-judice.

"We will move court against this illegal decision to allow discussion on Manipur. This is against the ethos of federal structure," he said.

"The first line of the of resolution is political. Just mentioning India is not enough. Then even East India Company would have been nationalist... Women were burnt to death in (Bengal's) Bogtui ," he added.

But Ms Banerjee ordered him and another noisy BJP MLA to maintain silence. "Don't scream so much, you have just joined the BJP and you won't become a minister... Don't lecture me. I also have papers. I will request the speaker to identify the fake news shown in the house. You cannot show anything without authority of the Speaker...  If they get bitten a dog or barked at, they send central teams," she added.  

Some BJP members tore up copies of the resolution and the party staged a walkout soon after the Chief Minister's speech. Ms Banerjee, meanwhile, was heard leading slogans of "Joy Bangla (Hail Bengal)".

The Manipur issue stymied another day in parliament as well as both houses got adjourned over Opposition demands that Prime Minister Narendra Modi speak on the issue.

The Centre had to face tough questions in Supreme Court, which has taken suo motu cognizance of the Manipur issue.

Responding to a lawyer who spoke about crimes against women in Bengal, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh, while hearing the case of two women being paraded naked, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said, "You cannot excuse what is taking place in one part of the country like Manipur on the ground that similar crimes are happening in other parts too. Questions is how do we deal with Manipur. Mention that...Are you saying protect all daughters of India or don't protect anyone?"

The court has asked the Centre and the Manipur government to respond tomorrow on six points, which include a break-up of cases and arrests made so far.