Govt ready for discussion on Manipur, Opposition wants to run away: Anurag Thakur

In response to the Congress party's focus on Manipur following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur led a counter-offensive on behalf of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Thakur accused the opposition of evading the debate on the issue.

Thakur said Prime Minister Modi condemned the atrocities faced by the two Manipur women and promised strict action against the perpetrators. “But the opposition members are still trying to politicize the issue. We have made our stand very clear that we are ready to discuss Manipur, but the opposition seems to be trying to escape the discussion,” Thakur told reporters after the Lok Sabha was adjourned due to continued disruption.

Thakur cited crimes against women in Rajasthan, including incidents where videos have surfaced. "I want to give the example of Rajasthan, where crime against women is the highest," he said, pointing to crime statistics that one-fifth of the 30,000 rape cases registered in 2021 were reported from Rajasthan.

“I want to ask Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi if they know about the woman who was gang-raped in Alwar in front of her husband and her video also went viral but the police did not release it because of the elections. Does Congress want action against women from just one state? Not only that, in Rajasthan's Jaipur, just five minutes from the CM's residence, a woman was first attacked in front of her 10-year-old son and then her body was set on fire. Do these incidents never make it to the media? Will Sonia Gandhi and the opposition remain mum about this?” asked Thakur.

The BJP leader's scathing attack came after several Congress leaders continued to criticize PM Modi and the BJP and demanded that the situation in Manipur be discussed in Parliament before any other agenda item.