Manipur is burning and PM is talking about East India Company: Kharge

NEW DELHI: Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday said that when the Opposition parties were talking about Manipur the Prime Minister was talking about the East India Company.

While speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Kharge said, "Several MPs have given notice under section 267 for discussion for the last four days on Manipur. It is not the first time, earlier also notices were given. Today Manipur is burning and rapes are happening. And we are talking about Manipur and the Prime Minister is talking about the East India Company."

He took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for referring the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) with East India Company.

On the other hand, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said that the government is also ready to discuss the atrocities against women and children in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.

"Across the country, if there is any crime against women, the government is ready for discussion. We should discuss these issues," Goyal added.

Kharge then said that when he was speaking in the House, the Leader of the House Goyal interrupted him.

Kharge said, "I have one point, 50 people wanted a discussion under 267, and they (BJP) are ready under 176.

"And if they want to have a discussion under 176 for two and half hours, then why are they not ready to have a discussion on this (Manipur issue) why the Prime Minister is not coming here and why he is not making a statement inside the House? He speaks outside about the East India Company and why not speak about Manipur?" Kharge quipped.

Leader of the House Piyush Goyal interrupted Kharge and said that there should be a discussion on incidents of atrocities against women in Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and West Bengal and Manipur. "And we want all state governments to be accountable," he said.

RJD Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha hitting out at Goyal said, "Leader of the House is equating Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan and there is no genocidal impact, but Manipur is genocidal."

Earlier in the day, speaking to the media after the BJP Parliamentary Party meeting, former Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that while addressing the MPs in the Parliamentary Party meeting, the Prime Minister said that the name INDIA has a strange coincidence.

"He (Modi) told that Prime Minister Modi said that the East India Company and the Indian National Congress were created by the British," he said, adding, "The Prime Minister said the Indian Mujahideen was founded by the terrorists and organisation like the Popular Front of India also has INDIA."

The Prime Minister in the meeting said that he has not seen such "directionless" Opposition till date, the senior BJP leader quoted Modi as saying, in an apparent reference to Opposition's 'INDIA'.

The Rajya Sabha was then adjourned till 2 p.m.

The Opposition parties have been demanding a detailed discussion on Manipur in Parliament and also a statement by the Prime Minister in the House.