Opposition walks out of Rajya Sabha on Manipur, mike muting; ST bill passed

The deadlock between the government and the Opposition on the Manipur situation continued on Wednesday with the treasury reiterating that it is ready for a short-duration discussion while the united INDIA coalition insisted that listed business be suspended to debate the issue. Opposition staged a walkout for the second consecutive day over alleged muting of Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge's mike, even as the NDA and neutral parties' members participated in the proceedings.

Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar announced that he has received notices under Rule 267 from 42 MPs who want to discuss the Manipur violence and the situation prevailing in the state. Tiruchi Siva (DMK) invoked Rule 235 on the right of an MP to speak and rued Kharge's mike had been switched off on Tuesday when he tried to raise the Manipur issue. Siva alleged Kharge had also been interrupted by "none other than the Leader of the House" Piyush Goyal.

Kharge said he had risen to speak on Tuesday with the hope that since 50 representatives have given notice for discussion on Manipur, he will get an opportunity to voice his opinion. "When I got up to speak, my mike was shut down. This is an attack on my privilege. I have been insulted. They have challenged my self-respect. And if the house functions on the directions of the government then I will believe that there is no democracy," he said.


The deadlock on the Manipur issue continues with the government and Opposition not budging from their respective stands on under which rule (Rule 176 by government and Rule 267 by Opposition) the situation be debated.

The House was adjourned till 12 noon. Dhankhar chaired the Question Hour in which mostly the treasury bench members asked supplementary questions. The Opposition members used their turn to raise the Manipur debate demand. Most Opposition members were on their feet and kept demanding that the Manipur issue be discussed.

P Chidambaram (Congress) said since the monsoon session began, not a single question asked by Opposition members on Manipur in the starred question category has been short-listed for Question Hour. Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan alleged that the Opposition not asking supplementary questions is "undemocratic".

Goyal said Chidambaram should apologise for the remarks he has made against the Chairman. Dhankhar said he is seized of the matter and looking at "what is the way out". When the House met again post-lunch, the Opposition again raised the issue of Kharge's mike being muted. The Opposition staged a walkout as the House took up The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Third Amendment) Bill, 2022. The bill was passed after a debate and reply by tribal affairs minister Arjun Munda.