What did ‘double-engine’ govt do in Manipur, asks CPI general secretary 

CPI general secretary D Raja demanded the removal of Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh and an end to the violence immediately

Chennai: CPI general secretary D Raja on Tuesday blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP-led Centre for stalling Parliament on the Manipur violence and sought to know what the “double-engine” government did in the northeastern state.

Contending that it was undemocratic on the part of the ruling party to disallow a discussion on the Manipur violence besides failing to meet the opposition demand for a detailed reply on the issue by Prime Minister Modi, Raja said the present situation appeared to be similar to the Centre’s stance on the Adani row.

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“Why is Parliament being stalled by the BJP-led government? Parliament is the supreme institution in our democracy because like the Indian jurist B R Ambedkar himself had said Parliament represents the sovereign will of the people,” the veteran CPI leader told reporters here.

Even in February this year, the Parliament was stalled because the government did not want to discuss the Adani issue. “Now the INDIA alliance is demanding the Prime Minister to present a detailed account on the incidents in Manipur and a subsequent discussion on the issue. But the Prime Minister is silent,” Raja claimed.

Modi always spoke about Parliament being a temple of democracy and in the G20 meeting he had said India is the mother of democracy. But he has now preferred not to accept the opposition’s demand, Raja said and added that “stalling Parliament amounts to murder of democracy.” “If Parliament becomes redundant, then democracy will die, people should understand this. That’s why the opposition parties are demanding a discussion on the crisis in Manipur, which is turning into a pitched battleground,” he said.

The present situation in Manipur was similar to a civil war. The Prime Minister always talks about the double-engine government and the country’s progress, but what did the double-engine government do in Manipur, he asked and accused the Centre of pursuing politics of polarisation.

He demanded the removal of Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh and an end to the violence immediately.

As he stepped out after addressing mediapersons, Raja lost his balance and fell down. Party colleagues helped him to his car and rushed him to the government hospital where doctors attended to him. He was later discharged.