 "Manipur horror")
The first day of the monsoon session of Parliament was a complete washout with the Opposition remaining adamant that Prime Minister Narendra Modi make a statement on the violence in Manipur.
Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha failed to do any business as opposition members created an uproar over the situation in the north-eastern state.
In the morning ahead of the session, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the incident of women being paraded naked in Manipur has shamed 140 crore Indians, asserting that law will act with its full might and no guilty will be spared.
"Today, when I am standing by this temple of democracy my heart is full of pain and anger," he told reporters in his remarks at Parliament complex before the start of Monsoon session and amid his criticism by opposition parties for not speaking on the ethnic violence in the BJP-ruled north east state.
"I want to assure the countrymen that no guilty will be spared. Law will act with its full might and firmness... What has happened to these daughters of Manipur can never be forgiven," he added.
Also Read
On Wednesday, a video of two women being paraded naked by a mob on May 4 in a Manipur village went viral, which triggered a nationwide outrage.
Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Thursday evening said two persons were arrested in connection with the May 4 incident in which two women were paraded naked in Kangpokpi district by a mob.
The Supreme Court observed that it was "deeply disturbed" by the video of two women. It said using women as instruments for perpetrating violence is "simply unacceptable in a constitutional democracy".
Taking cognisance of the video, a bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud directed the Centre and Manipur government to take immediate remedial, rehabilitative and preventive steps and apprise it of the action taken.
Several opposition party leaders met Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge in the morning and demanded a statement from the Prime Minister in both houses and a discussion on the Manipur situation, which has seen ethnic violence since May 3.
The Congress accused the PM of playing politics by mentioning Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh while "breaking his silence" on Manipur and said this was "too little too late" and "mere words won't do anymore".
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said perpetrators of such "crimes have been arrested in Congress-governed states within 24 hours.
“In Manipur, it took 15 days to register an FIR against unknown persons and today, 64 days later, for the chief minister of Manipur (N Biren Singh) to claim that arrests have been made," Ramesh said.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said that Home Minister Amit Shah would make a detailed reply once the discussion takes place, the time of which will be decided by the Speaker. Opposition members insisted on a statement from the prime minister.
