Cong's move to get House convened falls flat
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 21 2019:
A team of Congress leaders who went to the Raj Bhavan with an appeal to the Governor to convene a special session of the State Assembly to discuss the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB) 2016 came back empty-handed and dejected as the State Assembly has been prorogued.
A team of Congress leaders led by MPCC president TN Haokip, CLP leader Okram Ibobi and CWC Member Gaikhangam met Najma Heptulla this afternoon and urged the Governor to convene a special session of the State.
Later speaking to media persons at Congress Bhavan, O Ibobi reiterated that Congress party has been opposing the CAB 2016 since the day it was tabled in the Parliament.
"As the BJP-led coalition Government paid no heed to the repeated appeals of Congress party to convene a special session of the State Assembly for a threadbare discussion on CAB 2016 which is currently pending in the Rajya Sabha, we called on the Governor and submitted a memorandum", Ibobi said.
"We urged Dr Najma Heptulla to convene a special session of the State Assembly so that a unanimous resolution can be adopted and send the same resolution to the Prime Minister, the Union Home Minister and other leaders not to pass CAB 2016 in the Rajya Sabha", Ibobi conveyed.
After listening to the Congress party's appeal to convene a special session of the State Assembly, Dr Najma Heptulla conveyed that the State Assembly had been prorogued two days back at the request of the State Government and if a fresh session should be convened, it is mandatory to issue due notice 15 days in advance.
"The Governor's reply left us speechless and we came back disappointed", said the CLP leader.
When Congress party held a series of meeting in each and every block against the CAB 2016, the BJP-led coalition Government said that the Congress party had gone insane after losing power.
The Government has also been ignoring repeated appeals made by different sections of people including Congress to convene an all political parties' meeting and adopt a concrete resolution against the Bill, Ibobi decried.
He then questioned viability of Chief Minister N Biren's assertion that the State Government will continue to oppose the Bill until and unless a clause is inserted whereby Manipur is kept out of its ambit.
Asserting that the BJP led Governments of both the Centre and the State are known for doublespeak, the ex-Chief Minister expressed deep worry for the future of Manipur and her people.
Ibobi asked all Chief Ministers of the North Eastern States to sit together and make it clear to the NDA Government that the CAB 2016 is unacceptable.
This would best serve the interest of all the people of the entire North East region, he asserted.
Conveying that AICC president Rahul Gandhi recently sent a letter which condemned the detention of Kishorchandra Wangkhem under NSA and assured full solidarity and support to Kishorchandra, Ibobi said that Congress party would always uphold freedom of press.