Imphal, August 04: Defending his controversial remarks on declaration of State Holiday on June 18, MPP president O Joy maintained that the manner in which the Chief Minister had issued the declaration at his own discretion without the approval of the Cabinet was wrong.

Talking to media persons at the party office today, the MPP chief, said such announcement made by the Chief Minister from time to time would not have much binding on the significance of June 18 in which 18 persons laid down their lives to protect and safeguard the territorial integrity of Manipur.

Giving the reason why he considered declaring June 18 as State Holiday was wrong, Joy said before making a declaration on such a historic day like June 18, the matter should have been discussed thoroughly by the Cabinet and it should have been published in the required Gazette notification so that the declaration of the holiday was binding.

�I did not mean that the Government should revoke declaration of June 18 as a State holiday� clarified the MPP president.

But declaration of June 18 as holiday by the Chief Minister from time to time is not advisable, he added.

Recalling that the issues related to imposition of indefinite economic blockade by ANSAM to protest against the declaration of June 18 as holiday were discussed on the floor of the House during the Monsoon session, Joy pointed out that the CM had himself clarified that his declaration did not have the approval of the Cabinet and had done so in good faith.

Moreover, there is also no record of the holidays declared previously by the Government.

Unlike in the previous years, it is only this time that objection has been raised against declaration of June 18 as holiday.

This shows something is wrong, he added.

Since there has been no records of the holiday declared on June 18, should the Chief Minister revoked the June 18 declaration and what if some other person who is against such declaration become the Chief Minister in future, Joy asked.

It is indeed wrong on the part of the Chief Minister to declare June 18 as State Holiday at his own accord..

Instead it would be better for the Government to publish the Gazette notification for declaring the June 18 as Holiday for once and for all and made arrangement for observing the June 18 Uprising as State function, he added.

When asked on the show notice served to him by the working committee of the MPP seeking an explanation on the remarks made by him in an interview with the North East Sun wherein he observed that declaration of holiday on June 18 was wrong, Joy appreciated the action of the working committee and it is ought to be done to uphold the party constitution.

He said that matter would be discussed with the working committee and pressed upon the Govt for a gazette notification to make the declaration of June 18 permanent and abiding in future.