Monsoon Session Day 4 Highlights: Shah Writes To Kharge, Chowdhury For Their Support On Manipur Issue

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday wrote to leaders of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury seeking their "invaluable cooperation" to discuss the Manipur issue in Parliament.

In identical letters to Kharge, who is the Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, and Chowdhury, the Congress leader in Lok Sabha, Shah said the government is ready to discuss the Manipur issue and urged all to cooperate, rising above party lines.

"I hope that all the parties will cooperate in resolving this important issue," he said. Proceedings in both Houses of Parliament remain disrupted ever since the Monsoon session began on July 20 with the opposition parties demanding a statement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Manipur violence before a discussion.

Speaking in Lok Sabha on Tuesday, Home Minister Amit Shah informed that he has written to leaders of opposition in both Houses that the government is ready for discussion on the Manipur issue for as long as they want.

The opposition has tried to corner the government on the Manipur violence after a video of a May 4 incident appeared recently showing two women stripped and paraded naked by a mob.

Lok Sabha passes Multi-State Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Bill

The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed the Multi-State Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Bill, which seeks to strengthen cooperatives by making them transparent and introducing a system of regular elections. Piloting the bill, Cooperation Minister Amit Shah said the provisions in the bill will initiate a new era for the sector, which has been ignored by the previous governments.

The bill was later approved by the Lok Sabha amid din by voice vote after a short discussion during which only three members participated. Immediately after the passage of the bill, the House was adjourned for the day by Speaker Om Birla.

RS chairman ticks Chidambaram off for use of 'intemperate, inappropriate' expression
Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday ticked Congress MP P Chidambaram off for his "intemperate and inappropriate" choice of words against the Chair after the former Union minister questioned why Dhankhar was not giving priority to notices under Rule 267.

Opposition parties have given a slew of adjournment notices demanding a statement from the prime minister and a discussion under Rule 267 on the Manipur issue. Under the rule, MPs can give notice seeking suspension of listed business to discuss an issue of national importance.

Dhankhar said Chidambaram raised the issue with his own experience of having got into Parliament in the mid-1980s, noting that his question "How could you do this?" was not appropriate as it insinuated aspersions on the chair. "I was a little surprised and stunned when he said - 'How can you do it?'

"Now coming as it does from a man of experience who has held senior positions in the cabinet, I would appeal to him to look into the rationale as to why I have done it and I am sure you will find a way out of it. "But such kind of extreme intemperate, inappropriate expression for the chair emanating from such a senior member of the house, surely was not wholesome," the chairman said in the House during Question Hour. Chidambaram said his remarks should be seen in context and the entire record should be checked as it was not intended negatively. Some opposition members including Tiruchi Siva of DMK and Jairam Ramesh of Congress sought to support Chidambaram, saying he has instead lauded the chairman.

Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, who had last week first taken up notices given under Rule 176 and later disposed of notices under Rule 267, had later agreed with TMC's Derek O'Brien that the 267 notices have to be given precedence as acceptance of them also leads to suspension of rule 176 notices.

On Tuesday, Chidambaram said the 51 notices under Rule 267 received on Tuesday should have been taken up since it has now been accepted that they have precedence over those received under Rule 176. But this was objected to by the treasury benches and the chairman said a decision has already been taken to take up notices under Rule 176. Chidambaram then asked how the chairman could do such a thing, to which Dhankar objected. Dhankhar later said he has also learnt good things from the members.