Ready to discuss Manipur issue in Parliament: Centre
What's the story
Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi reportedly said that the central government is ready to discuss the Manipur issue in Parliament.
Notably, the opposition parties are planning to corner the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is in power at the Centre, on matters like the ongoing violence in Manipur and price rise.
The monsoon session of Parliament starts from Thursday.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Ethnic violence has engulfed Manipur for nearly three months. However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has yet to address the matter. The opposition has accused him of deliberately dodging it, despite scores of people losing their lives.
Among a host of other contentions, the current conflict is rooted in the state's majority Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status amid resistance from tribal groups.
Details
Opposition said discussions on Manipur issue, inflation 'non-negotiable'
Joshi's statement came at the all-party meeting on Wednesday, which was aimed at discussing the issues related to the Parliament monsoon session.
The recently-formed opposition bloc said that the discussion on the Manipur issue and rising inflation was "non-negotiable."
It also sought to raise the ordinance to control Delhi's services and the alleged misuse of Central agencies against political rivals in Parliament.
Statement
What kind of democracy we have: Jairam Ramesh
"We call ourselves the mother of democracy. What sort of mother of democracy we have when the Prime Minister is not speaking, when he is not even attending (Parliament), when issues of public concern aren't allowed to be raised, when remarks are being expunged," Congress leader Jairam Ramesh reportedly said.
He added that the government must follow a middle path for Parliament's smooth functioning.
Allegations
Former Mizoram BJP vice president calls BJP anti-Christian party
Earlier, the BJP's Mizoram unit's former vice president, R Vanramchhuanga, who resigned from the party on July 13, accused it of being an anti-Christian party and claimed that PM Modi "totally failed to protect his citizens."
Olympic medalist weightlifter Mirabai Chanu, who hails from Manipur, had also recently appealed to PM Modi to stop the violence raging in the state.