Members of the Opposition INDIA coalition on Thursday came to Parliament wearing black to intensify their protest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s failure to make a statement on the Manipur violence, inviting a sharp attack from the Treasury benches.

Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal, who is also the leader of the Rajya Sabha, led from the front in both Houses in hitting out at the Opposition members over their black attire, triggering loud slogans of “Piyush Goyal go back” in the Lok Sabha by Opposition members.

The verbal clash between the Opposition and the government started in the Rajya Sabha and travelled to the Lok Sabha, particularly when foreign minister S. Jaishankar was making a statement hailing Modi’s recent foreign visits.

Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar allowed Jaishankar to make the statement amid protests by the Opposition demanding that the Prime Minister addess Parliament on Manipur. Slogans of “PM Modi sadan mein aao, Manipur pe kuch toh bolo (PM Modi come to the House and speak something on Manipur)” were raised.

After Jaishankar’s statement, House leader Goyal stood up to slam the Opposition for wearing black. He said that like their clothes, their present and future were dark.

Dhankhar too sought to take a dig at the Opposition when he urged the Congress’s Jairam Ramesh to seek clarifications over the foreign minister’s statement and he instead pressed for a discussion on Manipur. “You do not believe in historic growth (of India),” the chairman remarked.

In the Lok Sabha, the Opposition shouted loud slogans of “Manipur, Manipur” when Jaishankar was making the same statement. This invited a counter of “Modi, Modi” from the Treasury benches. The Opposition members hit back with chants of “India, India”. So loud was the “India, India” chorus that the minister was hardly audible.

Later, a spat broke out between Goyal and the Congress’s Adhir Chowdhury. Goyal was in the Lok Sabha to push a bill when Adhir wanted to raise a point of order regarding the Opposition’s no-confidence motion against the government. Goyal said Adhir would not be allowed to speak as the Opposition members had disrupted Jaishankar’s statement. Parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi intervened to say that the Speaker had 10 days to decide when the no-confidence motion would be taken up.

Like in the Rajya Sabha, Goyal attacked the Opposition over their black attire while tabling his bill amid the din.

“Before I speak on the bill, I want to say something about the Opposition members’ clothes. What is in their hearts is visible in their clothes. What are they trying to hide behind their black clothes?” Goyal said. Many of his comments were expunged as they were found to be unparliamentary.

Amid protest and sloganeering in both Houses, the government managed to pass and introduce a good number of bills.