The Opposition on Friday disrupted Parliament proceedings to press for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s presence in both Houses to answer questions on Manipur while the government accused it of creating a situation that doesn’t allow debate.

The government expressed readiness to hold a discussion on Manipur but sought to turn down the Opposition’s condition of Modi replying to the debate in the House without saying it directly.

Friday was the second day of the monsoon session of Parliament.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh was fielded in the Lok Sabha to push the government’s line of counter-attacking the Opposition. “We want that there should be discussions on Manipur incidents,” Rajnath told the Lok Sabha amid protests by the Opposition demanding answers from the Prime Minister. “But I can see that some political parties are unnecessarily creating problems so that a discussion doesn’t take place under any circumstances,” Singh added.

Privately, BJP leaders said Union home minister Amit Shah would reply to the debate and not Modi.

The Prime Minister ended his silence on the violence in Manipur after 78 days and only after horrific visuals emerged of two women being paraded naked and harassed by scores of men.

Slogans demanding Modi’s presence in the House to answer questions on Manipur were raised as soon as the Lok Sabha assembled on Friday morning. Speaker Om Birla reprimanded the MPs. After inviting Rajnath to speak amid the din, he adjourned the House till noon.

At noon, the slogans of “jawab do, jawab do, Pradhan mantri jawab do…” and “Pradhan mantri sadan me aao” got louder. Placards reading “Manipur is burning, PM speak about it” and “India wants the PM to speak in Parliament” were waved.

In the Rajya Sabha, the united Opposition demanded the suspension of all business to discuss the Manipur situation in the presence of Modi.

The protest by the Opposition was so strong that Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar could not read a report of the business advisory committee.

Trinamul Congress’s House leader Derek O’Brien asked Dhankhar why words from his comments in the House on Thursday on the Prime Minister’s silence over Manipur were expunged. Dhankhar adjourned the House without answering the question.