Source: The Imphal Free Press
Imphal, June 07:
The NCP MLA, Chungkhokai Doungel is likely to bring up a privilege motion against M Hemanta for 'serious damage and tarnishing the image' of the Speaker during the next Assembly session.
Dismissing the charges of M Hemanta against the Speaker S Dhananjoy as 'farfetched' and 'figment of imagination'.
A statement issued by the MLA said the Speaker has not violated the 10th Schedule of the Constitution under which strength the dismissal of the Speaker ahs been sought.
Regarding Hemanta's charges on the Speaker with effecting splits in parties.
Doungel said they (splits) take place as per provisions of the tenth schedule to the Constitution of India and recognition by Speaker depends on whether they are in order or not.
'If a party is unable to hold its members together and break up, it is unfair to use the speaker as a scapegoat and blame him', it said.
It further said, similarly, merger of a party to another party takes places as per mutual agreement between them and notifying such merger in Assembly bulletin is merely a part of administrative act of the Speaker.
On the speaker's claim to form an alternative ministry and submission of names along with signatures of MLAs, the statement said the Speaker did not violate Para 5 of the schedule by staking claim as such incidence has precedence.
It further said that when Dorendro was the Speaker in 1974, he resigned from the post of speaker ship only after being sworn in as the chief minister.
He also pointed out the observation of the Supreme Court in the case of Dr.Luis Proto Barbosa versus Union of India case AIR 1992 SC 1812, which relates to the Speaker joining a split without resigning.
He further observed that the Speaker has neither resigned nor joined any split.
As for the charge of opening camp of defectors in his official bungalow, Doungel contended in his statement that the speaker's house is an open house accessible to all MLAs regardingless of party affiliations.
The complainant himself had spent much time in the Speaker's house and camped there for days together-though not necessarily on the Speaker's invitation but on the member's own choice, it said.
He also described Hemanta's action as a 'frustrated outburst of thwarted ambition'.
Doungel also defended the Speaker saying that the Speaker's meeting with Central leader of BJP, Samata Party, JD (U), NCP etc, was aimed to project the true picture of the state to the central leaders and discuss what ought to be done with the decision makers.