New Delhi: In a development that could end the impasse in Parliament, the Opposition has offered a "middle path solution" to the government to kick-start a discussion on Manipur unrest.
"INDIA parties have offered a middle path solution to the Leader of the House to break the logjam and get a discussion on Manipur going in an uninterrupted manner in the Rajya Sabha. Hope the Modi government agrees," Congress leader Jairam Ramesh posted on X this afternoon.
Over the past two weeks, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have seen repeated disruptions over a disagreement between the Opposition and treasury benches on the rule under which the situation in the northeastern state should be discussed.
The Opposition had been insisting that the discussion on Manipur be held under Rule 267, which provides for suspension of all business to take up key issues. The government, on the other hand, wanted a short duration discussion under Rule 176.
According to sources, the Opposition has put up a proposal that the discussion be held under Rule 167, which has the provision for voting. "The government wants a discussion under Rule 176 and we want it under Rule 267. If there is an agreement over Rule 167, a middle path can be found," an Opposition MP told NDTV.
There is no clarity at this point on whether the Opposition has dropped its other demand - an statement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Manipur unrest.
The development comes after several meetings between floor leaders of the government and Opposition to break the logjam in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. One such meeting was also held today between Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress chief and Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi.
The government had earlier said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah will address Parliament on the situation In Manipur, where ethnic violence has claimed more than 100 lives in the past two months.
The Opposition, however, insisted that it is the Prime Minister who should address the Parliament.
On the day the new session began, the Prime Minister had spoken to the media on the Manipur video, saying it had shamed the country. The Opposition has pointed out that the Prime Minister has spoken to the media, but not addressed the House. It is not clear at this point whether they have climbed down and dropped their demand for the Prime Minister's address.
The unrest in Manipur came to centre stage days before the monsoon session owing to the emergence of a horrifying video in which a mob paraded two tribal women naked.