West Bengal assembly to discuss Manipur violence

The decision was taken in an 'all-party' meeting, which was boycotted by the opposition BJP. Lone ISF MLA Nawsad Siddique was also not present there

Kolkata: The ruling Trinamool Congress will move a motion in the West Bengal assembly to discuss and condemn the ethnic violence in Manipur during the ongoing monsoon session, which began on Monday.

The decision was taken in an ‘all-party’ meeting, which was boycotted by the opposition BJP. Lone ISF MLA Nawsad Siddique was also not present there.

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“It has been decided that a discussion will be held in the assembly on the situation in Manipur and the humanitarian crisis that the northeastern state is facing. The date and under which rule the discussion will be held is yet to be decided,” TMC chief whip Nirmal Ghosh told PTI.

Speaking on the proposal, state parliamentary affairs minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay said the motion would be tabled in the assembly in this session.

“We are terrified and upset with the kind of torture and violence that women, children are facing in Manipur. This country belongs to everybody. The role of the central government is unfortunate. A state is oppressing women. The prime minister is very active in speaking on other matters. But why is he not active on this issue? Violence against women and children is shameful for any Indian,” he told reporters.

Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said the incident of women being paraded naked in Manipur has shamed 140 crore Indians, asserting that the law would act with its full might and no guilty would be spared.

The ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal has been alleging that the “divisive” policies of the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in Manipur led to the ethnic strife in the northeastern state.

More than 160 people have lost their lives and several have been injured since ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, when a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

In West Bengal, the opposition BJP, which has been boycotting all-party meetings and meetings of the business advisory committee for the last few sessions, said its members would oppose any discussion on Manipur in the assembly.

The BJP said it wants a discussion on the violence in the recently held panchayat polls in the state that left several people dead.

“The state government is trying to divert attention from its failures. Incidents of atrocities against women are rampant in West Bengal. We want a discussion on this issue and would bring an adjournment motion. We want discussions on women’s safety in Bengal and panchayat poll violence in the state,” BJP’s Siliguri MLA Sankar Ghosh said.

Reacting to Ghosh’s claims, Chattopadhyay said, “Violence in Manipur cannot be compared with the peaceful situation in Bengal.” The monsoon session in the West Bengal assembly is likely to continue for two weeks.