Nominate two Manipuri women to Rajya Sabha: Opposition INDIA suggests President Murmu

Congress President and Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge in a meeting with other leaders of the INDIA alliance parties at his chamber in Parliament House during Monsoon session, in New Delhi, Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2023. PTI Photo

Opposition bloc INDIA on Wednesday suggested that President Droupadi Murmu nominate two Manipuri women from different communities to the Rajya Sabha to help rectify the "grievous harm" inflicted on women of the state.

Trinamool Congress leader Sushmita Dev suggested when a delegation of the opposition bloc met the President and urged her to ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address Parliament on the situation in strife-torn Manipur.

Dev said nominating two women from different communities from Manipur to the Rajya Sabha would serve as a small measure to rectify the grievous harm and violation inflicted upon the women of the state.

"This is the minimum expectation at this time of national tragedy," she said.

Among the opposition members present at the meeting with the President at Rashtrapati Bhawan were Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, JD(U) leader Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan), Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders Arvind Sawant and Sanjay Raut, Trinamool leaders Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Derek O'Brien.

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The Opposition INDIA earlier submitted a memorandum to President Droupadi Murmu over their demand for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement in Parliament on the Manipur issue.

They also demanded that the prime minister visit the strife-torn state to restore peace.

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In the memorandum submitted to the President, 31 leaders of the opposition bloc also raised the issue of communal tension in Haryana's Nuh and alleged that the Central government was not bothered about the developments that are taking place "barely 100 km from the Prime Minister's Office".

Addressing the media here, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the members of the delegation that included MPs who visited Manipur also apprised the President of the situation in the state and shared their accounts.

"We implore you to press upon the prime minister to urgently address Parliament on the prevailing situation in Manipur, followed by a detailed and comprehensive discussion on the matter," the opposition bloc said in the memorandum. (Agencies)