Adhir cites Express report, accuses Shah of misleading House on Nagaland firing

The report quoted one of the two survivors, undergoing treatment in Dibrugarh’s Assam Medical College and Hospital, as saying, “Direct marise… They shot right at us.”

Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Choudhary speaks in the Lok Sabha during the Winter Session of Parliament, in New Delhi, Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2021. (LSTV/PTI Photo)(PTI12_08_2021_000160A)

The Opposition on Thursday alleged in Lok Sabha that the government misled the House over the killing of 14 civilians and a soldier in three incidents in Nagaland.

Citing The Indian Express report published on Wednesday on two survivors of the December 4 Army ambush, which triggered the violence, leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury accused Home Minister Amit Shah of giving a misleading statement in Parliament.

Shah in his statement in Rajya Sabha on Monday said the vehicle that was ambushed was “signaled to stop” and was fired upon after it “tried to flee”. “But the victims said ‘direct marise’, meaning they were short directly. They were not signaled to stop nor did they try to flee. The victims, in the report, said that they were shot directly,” Chowdhury said, citing The Indian Express report.

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The report quoted one of the two survivors, undergoing treatment in Dibrugarh’s Assam Medical College and Hospital, as saying, “Direct marise… They shot right at us.”

Chowdhury, who tried to raise the issue during Zero Hour, also asked why a delegation from his party was stopped in Assam on their way to visit the victims. He alleged that the Congress delegation comprising Lok Sabha members Gaurav Gogoi and Anto Antony were stopped from visiting the village.

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“The Congress leaders were stopped from visiting Mon district. This government stops us from visiting Lakhimpuri Kheri. This government stops us from visiting Nagaland. The situation is deteriorating in the entire Northeast,” Chowdhury said.
However, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal said the issue raised by Chowdhury pertained to the state government and not the Lok Sabha.

The Zero Hour, meanwhile, was made special for women members on Thursday, with Speaker Om Birla giving priority to all women MPs who wanted to raise matters of public importance. He was lauded by senior members of the House for encouraging first-time MP Pramila Bisoyi of BJD to speak on the floor of the House. The 73-year-old Bisoyi, who is known for spearheading self-help groups, raised the issue of rising women unemployment due to the pandemic in her mother tongue Odia.

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Birla praised the Aska MP for providing employment through SHGs despite her educational limitations. According to the Lok Sabha website, Bisoyi has studied till primary classes.

Among the 62 MPs who were allowed to speak during Zero Hour, 29 were women MPs.

Liz Mathew

Have been in journalism covering national politics for 23 years. Have covered six consecutive Lok Sabha elections and assembly polls in almost all the states. Currently writes on ruling BJP. Always loves to understand what's cooking in the national politics (And ventures into the act only in kitchen at home). ... Read More

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