Guwahati: Parliament witnessed a rare scene on Tuesday as opposition members chanted “Manipur, Manipur” in chorus while Congress MPs from the violence-hit Northeastern state took their oaths as Lok Sabha members.
Congress’s newly elected MPs, Alfred Kanngam Arthur from Outer Manipur and Angomcha Bimol Akoijam from Inner Manipur, were sworn in as Members of Parliament.
While both the Manipur MPs went up to take oath, opposition leaders shouted “Manipur Manipur”.
Akoijam is a professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in Delhi, while Arthur is a former MLA from the Ukhrul Assembly constituency.
Both took the oath as members of the 18th Lok Sabha, holding copies of the Indian Constitution in their hands.
“Give justice to Manipur and save India” said Alfred Kanngam Arthur, newly elected Congress MP from outer Manipur as he took oath.
Congress wrested both Lok Sabha seats in Manipur from the ruling BJP and its ally, the Naga People’s Front (NPF) in the recently concluded elections.
Angomcha Bimol Akoijam won the Inner Manipur Lok Sabha seat, defeating BJP candidate and state Education Minister Thounaojam Basanta Kumar Singh by a margin of 109,801 votes.
In the tribal-reserved Outer Manipur parliamentary seat, Alfred Kanngam Arthur defeated NPF nominee Kachui Timothy Zimik by a margin of 85,418 votes.
Earlier, Congress accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of abandoning all responsibility for the “BJP-manufactured crisis” in Manipur. Since May 3, 2023, when large-scale violence broke out in the state, the Prime Minister has not visited Manipur even once.
Congress also criticized the BJP-led Centre for its handling of the Manipur situation and demanded the dismissal of the Biren Singh-led government.