We Are Very Serious About ‘Middle Path’ Solution but Modi Govt Is Not: Jairam Ramesh on RS Impasse

GG News Bureau

New Delhi, 4th Aug. The Congress accused the Modi government on Friday of not being serious about resolving the Rajya Sabha impasse, saying the INDIA opposition bloc had proposed a “middle path” solution and that a debate on Manipur under a mutually negotiated motion should have ideally taken place today or “very soon.”

According to Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh, parties in the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) offered the Modi government a “middle path” approach to ensure the smooth operation of the Rajya Sabha.

“We said let us have a mutually negotiated Motion on Manipur under Rule 167 and start a discussion on it. The Modi government appeared to agree but indicated that the earliest that the discussion could take place was only on Friday, August 11th. This shows the government is not serious,” he alleged in a tweet.

“The discussion should ideally have taken place today for which INDIA parties were ready or very soon — on Monday or Tuesday. We are very serious about the middle path, finding a solution, but clearly the Modi government is not. So much for our sincere efforts,” Ramesh said.

Tagging Ramesh’s tweet, TMC leader Derek O’Brien said, “CAUGHT OUT! Team INDIA made this offer on the floor of Parliament. But PM Narendra Modi and BJP still absconding from any discussion on #Manipur.”

After days of disturbance in Parliament over the Manipur issue, the government and the Opposition attempted to break the gridlock on Thursday by discussing a middle way to find a solution.

Union ministers Piyush Goyal and Pralhad Joshi reached out to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and other Opposition leaders to resolve the stalemate in the Rajya Sabha over Manipur.

However, the over-half-hour meeting between opposition parties and the government was inconclusive.

The leaders of the Opposition bloc in Rajya Sabha had already stated that a statement by the Prime Minister and a detailed discussion on Manipur are non-negotiable.

They had demanded a discussion on the situation in the northeastern state under Rule 267, which allows for the suspension of listed business for the day in order to discuss an issue.

Since the start of the Monsoon session on July 20, the Upper House has been repeatedly disrupted over the topic of violence-torn Manipur.