Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said he has written to leaders of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha that the government is ready for discussion on the Manipur issue for as long as they want.
In identical letters to Kharge, who is the Leader of 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 from day one of the Monsoon session with the Opposition parties demanding a statement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Manipur violence before a discussion.
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.
Replying to a short debate on the Multi-State Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha, the minister said the government has nothing to hide, and is ready to discuss the Manipur issue.
"People who are shouting slogans are neither interested in cooperation nor in cooperatives, neither in Dalits nor in women welfare," he said amid sloganeering by opposition members.
"I want to reiterate that I have written letters to leaders of opposition in both Houses that we (government) are prepared for a discussion for as long as they want. The government is not afraid of anything. Those who want to debate the Manipur issue can debate. We have nothing to hide," Shah said.
Later, the House passed the bill with a voice vote amid the din.
The House was adjourned soon after to meet again on Wednesday.
The Manipur Police has arrested several accused who were seen in the video. The police said a case of abduction, gang rape and murder has been registered at the Nongpok Sekmai police station in Thoubal district against unidentified armed miscreants.
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