Why opposition walked out amid PM’s speech? Answers Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi Thursday said that the opposition I.N.D.I.A bloc walked out of the Lok Sabha during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech since he “did not take any responsibility for the failure of the double-engine government in Manipur”.

The Congress tweeted,”Prime Minister Modi and his central state government has not taken any responsibility for the violence, death and rapes in Manipur. The BJP want a divided Manipur and the BJP-drugs nexus to continue. He avoided speaking on inflation, unemployment, China, Nuh and Pulwama.

“So many women were raped in the tenure of the Manipur CM, the state was divided, 60,000 people became homeless, AK-47 is in the hands of common people. Despite making such an unsafe environment, he is not sacking his chief minister. He did not say when he will visit Manipur...Even today, they (Centre) don't have a permanent solution, they don't have a roadmap about when will peace return to Manipur,” Gogoi, the member of parliament for Kaliabor constituency, told the news agency ANI.

"Instead of justice, I saw injustice inside Lok Sabha when the two MPs from Manipur were not allowed to speak. However, their hands and mouths were tapped and shut, and this is what the BJP is trying to do to cover up their failure in Manipur," Gogoi said.

He criticised the motion of suspension against Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury by BJP and said it is democracy's murder.

The Congress leader said, “The entire Manipur state is dissatisfied & sad with PM's words...That is why the I.N.D.I.A. alliance walked out.”

Another Congress leader Shashi Tharoor after walkout said “We had asked the PM to address on Manipur, but after 1 hour 45 minutes, he has not even mentioned the word Manipur. So, the opposition said this is a travesty, and he is making a purely political speech. There were no answers for the no-confidence motion, which was specifically moved to address the Manipur issue.”

On the otherhand, Prime Minister Modi, in his around 2.5 hours speech, replied to the no-confidence motion moved by the opposition against the ruling government.

On the Manipur crisis, the prime minister assured the people of the violence-hit state that the entire country is with them and that peace will be restored soon.

“Both the state and central governments are doing everything possible to ensure that the accused get the strictest punishment. I want to tell the people of Manipur including women and daughters of Manipur that the country is with you,” the Prime Minister added.

Veiled attack on Congress

Criticising the Congress, prime minister Modi questioned, “Manipur had become the victim of ethnic clashes during the erstwhile Congress regime. There was a time in Manipur when everything used to be run by insurgents. Whose government was it at that time?” 

(With inputes from agencies)