Journalism of Courage
The Congress-led Opposition on Thursday accused the government of making the Northeast “another Kashmir” with people protesting on the streets against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, and a communication blockade in parts of the region. But the treasury benches countered saying the Opposition was “instigating violence” there.
“The entire northeastern region, barring a few places, is in flames… It has become another Kashmir,” Congress Leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said. “Internet services have been discontinued. We are witnessing that the Kashmir phenomenon has been replicated in the Northeast,” he said.
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.
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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.
