Parties left out of meet with Shah cry foul
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, December 03 2019: Some political parties which have been left out of the trip to Delhi to hold a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) have decried that they have been marginalised from the issue.

Speaking to media persons at Manipur Press Club here today, CPI-M State Secretary Ksh Shanta rued that the State Government could have called a meeting of all political parties before taking representatives of some selected political parties to Delhi.

However, the Government did not call any meeting of all political parties.

Instead, Chief Minister N Biren left for Delhi together with representatives of some selected political parties and this is rather unfortunate, Shanta said.

In addition to the team of some selected political parties headed by the Chief Minister, a team of MANPAC has also left Imphal for Delhi to talk about CAB with the Union Home Minister.

MANPAC as well as the political parties' team would certainly talk in the interest of Manipur, Shanta, nonetheless, said.

CPI-M has been fighting against CAB both inside the Parliament and outside and it would continue to oppose the Bill together with like-minded political parties, he said.

Manipur Pradesh Trinamool Congress convenor Dr Th Inaocha remarked that there is certain inconsistency between the positions adopted by MANPAC and the State Government regarding CAB.

Whereas the State Government is focused on inserting a special clause so that CAB does not harm Manipur, MANPAC has been demanding that CAB should not be implemented in any part of the North East region, Inaocha pointed out.

He then underscored the importance of speaking in one mind and language for the State Government, political parties and CSOs while talking with the Central Government on CAB.

Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee has made it clear that the party would oppose CAB for it would have negative impacts on the North East region even though the Bill may be harmless to West Bengal, Dr Inaocha said.

RSP State secretary Ningthoujam Ratan Meitei decried that the State Government acted in a discriminatory manner by selecting some political parties and leaving out many others for the crucial meeting with Amit Shah.

RSP's position on CAB is very clear.

The Bill should not be implemented under any circumstance, he asserted.

Democratic Bharatia Samaj Party State president Chabungbam Premchandra remarked that except for two or three, representatives of different political parties who left Imphal for Delhi today would say yes to whatever the State Government says.

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