Congress claims N-E being made another Kashmir, govt says party instigating violence

Chowdhury, along with his party colleagues Gaurav Gogoi and Manickam Tagore, gave an adjournment notice regarding the “highly volatile situation in North East India” while the party’s chief whip, Suresh Kodikunnil, gave a notice on “protest against CAB throughout the country”. The notices were rejected by Speaker Om Birla. During Zero Hour, Chowdhury said the area is of strategic importance. “The government should take the deteriorating situation seriously,” he said.

Chowdhury’s remarks triggered protests from the treasury benches. “They are instigating violence in the Northeast,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said.

Read | Echo from ground zero Guwahati: ‘Centre trying to use same tactics like they did in Kashmir’

Congress president Sonia Gandhi then gestured to her party members to stage a walkout. Congress and DMK MPs then walked out. The TMC remained seated but party MP Saugata Roy raised the matter of the protests in Tripura and Assam. “…Army is being deployed there. How can Japanese PM visit there?” Roy asked, referring to Shinzo Abe’s proposed visit to Guwahati. Roy demanded a statement from Home Minister Amit Shah on the issue. The TMC then staged a walkout.