No peace in Manipur at gunpoint, urge PM to visit state: Gau
No peace in Manipur at gunpoint, urge PM to visit state: Gaurav Gogoi
Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi on Tuesday said the Centre has failed to bring peace at gunpoint in Manipur and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit the state and listen to the concerns of the people
Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi speaks in the Lok Sabha during the Budget session of Parliament, in New Delhi, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (Sansad TV via PTI Photo)
NEW DELHI — Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi on Tuesday said the Centre has failed
to bring peace at gunpoint in Manipur and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to
visit the state and listen to the apprehensions and concerns of the people.
Initiating a discussion on the supplementary demands for
grants, excess grants and the Manipur budget, he asserted that peace cannot be
restored in the northeastern state at the barrel of gun and only a political
solution was the way out.
Gogoi, the Deputy Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha,
said the Manipur budget should have been discussed in the state assembly, but
President's Rule has been imposed in the state.
He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should apprise the
House about the rationale for imposition of President's Rule in the state.
"What is the state of Vidhan Sabha in the state - is
it dissolved or in suspended animation," the Congress leader sought to
know.
BJP members, including Nishikant Dubey, objected to
Gogoi's extensive reference to the situation in Manipur and cited rules to
point out that the Congress leader should stick to the demands for grants and
the state budget.
"If you want peace in Manipur, let the people of Manipur
speak. If you want peace in Manipur, have patience to listen to the people of
Manipur. What are their political aspirations, what are their apprehensions,
fears? You should have the strength to listen to it," Gogoi said.
The Congress leader said Home Minister Amit Shah had
visited Manipur in 2023 and promised to return soon.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also objected to
Gogoi's remarks referring to the absence of the prime minister from the House
when important matters were being discussed.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said Modi had informed him
about his foreign visit and pointed out that previous prime ministers too have
undertaken visits abroad during Parliament sessions.
Gogoi said he has utmost respect for Modi and accused the
treasury benches of abusing every former prime minister.
Responding to Gogoi, Sitharaman said the Opposition must
have grace to admit that they "abused the prime minister and will not
repeat it again".
Gogoi hit back and asked the finance minister to
introspect and refer to Modi's speech in the last session.
The Congress leader said Modi had abused former prime
ministers in his speech in Parliament last month.
