PM not God: Kharge insists on his presence in RS during Manipur debate

Opposition INDIA bloc members in Rajya Sabha Thursday proposed a discussion on Manipur under a rule that requires a resolution to be passed in the House but the ruling parties opposed their demand for the prime minister's presence, forcing an adjournment in the pre-lunch session.

The opposition parties had till now been calling for a debate under Rule 267, which entails voting, and a statement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The government has been insisting since the start of the Monsoon session on a short-duration discussion under Rule 176, which does not involve voting or any minister replying to the debate.

On Thursday, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge requested Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar to allow a discussion under Rule 167 in the prime minister's presence.

As the treasury benches protested this, Kharge quipped, "What will happen if the prime minister comes to the House? Is he parmaatma (almighty)? He is no God."

This led to a ruckus in the House, forcing the chairman to adjourn the proceedings till 2 pm.

Earlier, after the papers were laid in the Upper House, Chairman Dhankhar said he received several notices on different issues, including three on the Manipur issue under Rule 167 and 168 from Tiruchi Shiva (DMK), Binoy Viswam (CPI) and Elamaram Kareem (CPI-M).

A discussion on the Manipur issue was initiated in the House on July 31 but due to disruptions, it could not fructify, he said, and asked the leaders of the political parties to decide on the rule first as this might provide an opportunity for a way out.

The chairman also said that he would talk with political parties at the earliest at 1 pm. Later, he sought views on Rule 167 from Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the House Piyush Goyal.

On this, Goyal charged that the opposition leaders were not ready to hold talks in his "chamber" to end the over three-week logjam in the House on the Manipur issue.

Goyal added that he and Parliament Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi went to the Leader of Opposition's office to persuade the opposition leaders to a discussion. He added that in the meeting, the opposition leaders gave a condition that Prime Minister Modi should be present in the House during the debate, which he and Joshi refused.

Alleging that Goyal is stating a different version of the outcome of the meeting held at LoP's office, Kharge said, "In the meeting, it was decided that the discussion can happen under Rule 167. What is the problem now? You had agreed, you had given a proposal and now, you are stating something else after coming out of my room."

Tiruchi Siva of the DMK said both sides could not reach a common point in the last 14-15 days and said that in pursuance of the chairman's appeal, the I.N.D.I.A. alliance has evolved an alternative route to discuss the Manipur issue under Rule 167.

"We want to have a discussion on Manipur. We do not want to stick to one particular level and let them also not stick to that level," Siva said, urging the chairman to accept his notice.

On this, Dhankhar said Siva has raised a valid point and this stalemate has not "earned us any respect".

"Further, we are not able to debate about Manipur. He has come out with a way I personally feel that the two sides have taken rigid stands ," Dhankhar said, inviting the LoP to share his view on the issue.

Kharge requested the chairman to allow the discussion under Rule 167 and let the prime minister be present in the House so that the opposition members could express their views in his presence.

After this, sloganeering intensified in the House, forcing the Chair to adjourn the proceedings till 2 pm.