Appeal to opposition with folded hands to join debate in Parliament on Manipur: Anurag Thakur
New Delhi (PTI): As Parliament's Monsoon session remained deadlocked over ethnic violence in Manipur, Union minister Anurag Thakur on Sunday appealed to the opposition parties "with folded hands" to join the debate on the issue.
Thakur also urged the opposition not to politicise the issue of atrocities against women in the northeastern state.
The opposition parties have planned joint protests in Parliament on Monday on the situation in Manipur. They have been demanding a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Parliament before starting a discussion on the issue.
The government has been insisting that Home Minister Amit Shah will speak on the issue and not the prime minister.
"Atrocities against women are painful, no matter which state the victims belong to. It is the responsibility of the state to curb such incidents," the minister said.
He said the government is keen on a discussion on the issue of atrocities on women, which are prevalent in states such as Rajasthan, Bihar, West Bengal and Manipur.
"We wish that there should be a good discussion on this in the House, where all political parties will participate. Nobody should run away from the debate. It is my request to the opposition with folded hands, do not run away from the discussion," the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said.
He said the opposition should not politicise such issues and should join the discussion in Parliament.
"The opposition does all this to remain in discussion, but it does nothing to join the discussion," Thakur said when asked about the protests on the Manipur issue.
The Monsoon session of Parliament began on July 20 and has witnessed disruptions over the ethnic violence in Manipur, particularly over a video purportedly shot on May 4 and depicting atrocities against women in the state. The video surfaced last week.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Three footballers of Indian origin named in squads for FIFA World Cup 2026
New Delhi: Three footballers of Indian origin have been named in preliminary or final squads for the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026, scheduled to be held across the United States, Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19.
According to a report published by Mathrubhumi, Sarpreet Singh was included in the New Zealand national football team squad which was announced on Wednesday.
Born in Auckland to Indian parents, Singh was eligible to represent India through his family roots but chose to play for New Zealand. The 27-year-old attacking midfielder made his senior international debut in 2018 and has since become a regular member of the national side.
Singh has made 26 appearances for New Zealand and has scored three goals while providing seven assists.
Julen Lopetegui has included two players of Indian origin: Niall Mason and Tahsin Mohammed, in Qatar’s selections for the tournament.
Mason, a defender whose mother is Indian, previously trained in the youth academies of Real Madrid, Southampton FC and Aston Villa FC. Although he received his first senior call-up earlier this year, the Qatar defender is yet to make his senior international debut.
Tahsin Mohammed, 19, was born to parents from Kerala’s Kannur district. His father Jamshid is from Thalassery, while his mother Shaima belongs to Valapattanam. The winger became the first player of Indian origin to feature in the Qatar Stars League, Qatar’s premier domestic football competition.
Mohammed has made two appearances for the senior Qatar side, including in a World Cup qualifier against Afghanistan in June 2024.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be jointly hosted by United States, Mexico and Canada.
