Join debate, share experiences of Manipur visit: Union minister Anurag Thakur to Opposition

As the Opposition MPs returned from their Manipur visit on Sunday, Union minister Anurag Thakur urged them to join a discussion in Parliament on the ethnic violence in the northeastern state. He also urged them to share their experiences from the visit.

The Union minister accused the Opposition members of running away from discussion in Parliament even when the government had offered a debate on the ethnic violence in the state. The Monsoon session of the parliament began on July 20.

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already made a strong statement on the atrocities against women in Manipur, Rajasthan, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh before the Parliament convened for the current session.

"It is my appeal to the opposition members to tell the entire nation how Manipur used to burn for six months under Congress rule, hundreds of lives would be lost and yet no home minister or prime minister made any statement in Parliament," Thakur said.

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The opposition has been demanding a statement from the prime minister on the Manipur violence in both Houses of Parliament, a demand rejected by the government. In a bid to force a statement from the PM, the opposition parties have moved a motion for no-confidence against the government, which has been admitted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. However, a date for taking up the no-confidence motion is yet to be announced.

(With inputs from PTI)