LS briefly adjourned amidst debate on Manipur between Gaurav Gogoi & Piyush Goyal

Guwahati, Dec 11: After several days of disruptions, the Lok Sabha proceedings resumed on Wednesday, but the session was briefly adjourned for one-and-a-half hours following heated exchanges between lawmakers over the ongoing crisis in Manipur. The chaos erupted during Zero Hour when Gaurav Gogoi, Deputy Leader of Opposition, raised concerns about the violence in Manipur.

Gogoi accused the ruling BJP of diverting attention from the state’s turmoil by focusing on the issue of Hungarian-American businessman George Soros. He alleged that the government was using the Soros issue as a smokescreen “to hide its failures in Manipur”.

“The people of Manipur have three questions - when will the Prime Minister visit the state? When will the Home Minister apprise the House regarding a resolution? And why is the government using George Soros to shield its failures?” Gogoi said, demanding accountability from the government for the escalating crisis in the northeastern state.

The Jorhat MP also highlighted the severe impact of the violence on the state, stating that illegal arms, drugs, and timber trade had surged amid the unrest. He described the situation as dire, with schools and colleges closed, healthcare facilities damaged, and ordinary citizens living in constant fear.

“The government is sending paramilitary forces and enforcing AFSPA instead of addressing the cycle of violence. The economy is shattered, extortion is rampant, and basic public services are collapsing,” Gogoi added.

In response, Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry, lashed out at the Congress, accusing the party of instigating internal disturbances by allegedly collaborating with foreign forces.

"The Congress party is responsible for the internal disturbances in the country, and they have a nexus with foreign forces, destabilising the nation," Goyal said.

The Union Minister also questioned the Congress's stance on northeastern issues, pointing out that previous Prime Ministers had never visited states like Manipur during crises. "When did a Congress Prime Minister ever visit the Northeast to address its problems?" he asked, defending the government's actions in handling the situation.

The exchange between Gogoi and Goyal led to a heated faceoff, with several other MPs joining in, contributing to the chaos in the House. Amid the uproar, Speaker Sandhya Rai adjourned the session until 2 pm.