The government has informed the Rajya Sabha chairman about Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s availability only on the last day of the ongoing Monsoon Session, top sources have told News18. With the Opposition demanding a discussion on Manipur, Shah is ready to reply on August 11.
“On Monday, the home minister will be talking on the Delhi Services Bill in Rajya Sabha. From Tuesday to Thursday, he will be busy as there will be a discussion on the no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha in which he will be intervening. So the only available date is August 11,” a senior minister in the government told News18.
The Opposition, which has been demanding a discussion on Manipur under rule 267 and a statement by the prime minister since the beginning of the Monsoon Session, was seen softening its stand when the leaders spoke on the floor of the House, noting that Manipur was a crucial issue and needed to be discussed. Therefore, they were ready to compromise on the rule and hold a discussion under rule 176.
On Thursday, Union parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi and Leader of the Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal had an informal chat with the floor leaders of opposition parties about the same.
This was after Goyal had said on the floor of the House that the Union government was not running away from a discussion on Manipur. However, he stressed that the Opposition needed to listen to the reply of the home minister without causing any disturbance. Goyal had also told Parliament that he would check about the availability of the home minister before confirming a time for the reply on the debate, given the “hectic schedule” next week.
After demanding a discussion on Manipur in both houses of Parliament, opposition parties had been adamant on a reply by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the violence in the north-eastern state. After failing to convince the government about the same, they filed a notice of no-confidence against the Modi government. This notice was submitted by Congress Member of Parliament Gaurav Gogoi.
Just this week in the business advisory committee, the Lok Sabha Speaker had given time for discussion of the no-confidence motion. Sixteen hours have been set aside for discussion starting on August 8, which will conclude with a reply by the prime minister on August 10.
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