NEW DELHI: Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi told Lok Sabha on Wednesday that Manipur was in the throes of a “humanitarian crisis” and demanded a statement from Union home minister Amit Shah in the Parliament.
He slammed BJP for raising the George Soros issue in Parliament, contending that the governing party did it to “hide its failures in Manipur”. The remarks led to treasury benches sparring with the opposition, and BJP MP Sandhya Ray, who was in the chair, adjourning proceedings till 2 pm.
Raising the Manipur issue during zero hour, Gogoi said people of Manipur wanted to know when PM Modi would visit the state and when Shah would apprise the House of the steps required to resolve the situation.
“The state is in a humanitarian crisis and instead of finding a solution, government is sending paramilitary forces and enforcing AFSPA. This is not addressing the cycle of violence,” the MP from Assam said. “This govt, in order to hide its failures in Manipur, is using Soros as a shield,” he added, triggering a sharp reaction from treasury benches.
Commerce minister Piyush Goyal hit back, alleging links between Congress brass and certain Soros-backed organisations, and claimed that they were working to destabilise India.
Gogoi claimed that extortion had become rampant in Manipur, its economy shattered, and basic public services were on the brink of collapse. “Unfortunately, there has been a rise in illegal trade of arms, drugs, and timber. The impact on the lives of ordinary people has been devastating,” he said.