The AAP MP was dressed in a black kurta to mark his protest against the Manipur shocker
The incidents in Manipur have shaken the soul of India to its core, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha told NDTV this morning.
Mr Chadha is among the MPs who demanded a discussion in Parliament over the Manipur situation, hours after a horrifying video of two women being paraded naked by a mob started circulating on social media.
"The images of brutality and monstrosity coming from Manipur have shaken the soul of India to its core. Is this India of 21st century? Is this the New India of which the Prime Minister sings paens across the world? Did the people of Manipur vote for this?" Mr Chadha said.
The AAP MP asked if the ruling BJP will still not accept that "Manipur is burning".
"The ministers of BJP tweet if there is a small earthquake anywhere from Pakistan to Kazakhstan. And now when Manipur is burning, these people are not even bothered. The cries of Manipur have reached every corner of the world, but not the corridors of power in Delhi," he said.
Taking a swipe at the ruling BJP's "double engine" slogan, he asked, "Is this the BJP's double engine government? Double engine government means double brutality, double oppression and double monstrosity. We will demand a discussion on this so that the government puts forward its stand on Manipur," Mr Chadha said.
Asked how AAP plans to tackle in this session the centre's push for the passage of the ordinance that seeks to control Delhi bureaucrats, the Rajya Sabha MP said, "Murdering governments, snatching their powers is the priority of the BJP-ruled centre. We will oppose this law strongly. This is an anti-national law. Whoever supports this will be remembered in history as anti-national."
The AAP MP was dressed in a black kurta to mark his protest against the Manipur shocker.
The Upper House saw repeated adjournments today as Parliament met for the Monsoon Session. Members of the Opposition demanded a discussion on the unrest in Manipur under Rule 267. This rule is to suspend all business of the House to discuss a particular issue.
When Leader of the House and Union Minister Piyush Goyal said the government was ready for a discussion, Leader of Opposition and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge responded, "We have given notices under Rule 267 for suspending all other business of the House and then take this us. Let Prime Minister give statement and we will discuss."
Trinamool Congress's Derek O'Brien said the discussion on Manipur should be taken up under Rule 267 and that the Prime Minister must break his silence on the situation in the Northeast state in the House. Following two adjournments, the House was adjourned for the day.
The Prime Minister, addressing the media on the matter, said the country has been shamed by what happened in Manipur and assured that no one responsible for the horrific act will be spared.