Cong decides to stay away from all parties meet
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 27 2019:
Ex-Chief Minister and CLP leader Okram Ibobi Singh has conveyed that Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) will not take part in the all political parties meeting convened by the State Government tomorrow to discuss the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016, saying the Government called the meeting only to fool political parties and the people and to defend/justify themselves in future as well as to play delaying tactics on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 issue.
He further asked the Government to take a unanimous resolution in the Special Assembly Session and further urged the Central Government leaders and Central leaders of different political parties if required to fight the Bill collectively.
Addressing a press conference held tonight at Congress Bhavan, BT Road, Ibobi who is also the Opposition leader in the State Legislative Assembly informed that the MPCC decided to stay away from the all political parties' meeting as the Congress party feels that the meeting is aimed at finding an excuse for the State Government vis-a-vis CAB 2016 .
He continued that the CLP leaders have been studying the importance of the meeting day and night since the past few days apart from considering what the general public will think if the Congress party does not join the meeting.
Reminding that the Congress party had asked the State Government to convene a Special Assembly session and even approached the Governor for the same purpose recently, Ibobi further decried that the Government declined the appeal/proposal of the Congress and many other political parties in the State to convene a special Assembly session.
Mentioning that the State Government had stated that the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 will not affect the people of the State and the same Government will oppose the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 until and unless a clause for exemption of Manipur is inserted in the Bill, the former Chief Minister asked the validity/legitimacy of the Government's statement while asking how can a clause be inserted in the Bill after the Bill has been already passed in the Lok Sabha but not yet withdrawn from the House (Lok Sabha).
As indicated by the State Government's step to prorogue the State Assembly Session by sidelining the necessity of having a Supplementary Boards of Accounts Session in view of the imminent enforcement of the election code of conduct by March, it seems that the State Government either supports the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill or it fears the reprisal from the Central Government in case it dares to intervene into its (Central Government) efforts to pass and implement the Bill.
Ibobi reiterated that the Congress Party strongly opposes the Bill from day one and the party will continue to oppose when it is tabled in the Rajya Sabha and even after the Bill is passed in the Rajya Sabha.
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