Under Opposition attack over Manipur, BJP highlights crimes in Rajasthan, West Bengal

The Opposition parties said that they would have a strategy meeting on July 24 and would assemble in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament to press for the Prime Minister’s statement.

The war of words between Opposition parties and the BJP over the violence in Manipur escalated on Saturday after the ruling party raised the issue of crimes against women in Congress-ruled Rajasthan and Trinamool Congress-ruled West Bengal and questioned the “silence” of the Opposition.

Hitting back, Opposition leaders accused the BJP of using “diversionary tactics” to avoid a debate in Parliament on Manipur.

Also Read: 18-year-old woman assaulted, gangraped in Manipur on May 15, approached police on Friday; case registered  

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh tweeted, ”The Prime Minister and his drum beaters are diverting and deflecting from the enormous tragedy that has overtaken all of Manipur in the past 80 days by creating false equivalence with an issue relating to Rajasthan.”

TMC leader Derek O’Brien accused the BJP of stalling and disrupting the Parliament. “Let the debate on Manipur begin on Monday morning. Let the PM choose where he wants to open the discussion - Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha, his choice. Of course, we will, then, participate,” Mr. O’Brien said.

The Opposition parties said that they would have a strategy meeting on Monday and would assemble in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament to press for the Prime Minister’s statement.

Follow live updates on violence in Manipur on July 22