BJP-led Govt has been reduced to minority: Ibobi
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 20 2020: Claiming that the State's BJP-led coalition Government is now a minority Government, ex-Chief Minister Okram Ibobi has asserted that the in-cumbent Government should not be allowed to take major policy decisions.

Speaking to media persons at an SPF camp here today, Ibobi said that the incumbent Government was reduced to minority after NPP withdrew support to the BJP-led coalition.

The 'illegal and minority Government' should not be allowed to take any major policy decision, he said.

As per the conventional norms of democracy, the Governor should immediately convene a special session of the State Assembly and the BJP-led Government should be asked to prove whether it is still supported by majority of the Members or not, Ibobi said.

BJP-led Govt has been reduced to minority: Ibobi

The State Assembly can definitely hold a special session by strictly adhering to the social distancing norms as demanded by the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.

The Assembly hall was constructed to accommodate as many as 100 Members considering possible rise in the number of Assembly segments in future in accordance to the population growth, said the ex-Chief Minister.

Even as the Speaker's Tribunal fixed June 22 for the final hearing of the disqualification case involving seven Congress MLAs who were supporting BJP, the same hearing was preponed to June 18 and the judgement was reserved.

In the meantime, the High Court of Manipur decreed that the reserved judgement should not be announced till June 19.But the Speaker's Tribunal, by blatantly violating the High Court's prohibition, proclaimed that three of the seven MLAs have been disqualified while investigation is pending against one MLA.

The Speaker's judgement said that the other three MLAs are still Congress legislators, Ibobi remarked.

Replying to a query, Ibobi who is also the CLP leader said that the Congress party's central leaders have been asked to take up befitting action against the Congress MLAs who resorted to cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha election held yesterday.

He clarified that no whip was invoked regarding yesterday's election.

Noting that the no confidence motion moved against the Speaker has been rejected, Ibobi said that they have to approach Court now.

NPP MLA Y Joykumar said that the minority Government should not be allowed to act at their own fancy as if there is no rule of law.

He too demanded that the incumbent Government must prove in the House whether they still enjoy support of the majority or not.

He went on to ask whether BJP candidate Leishemba Sanajaoba received people's mandate or he actually represents the people of Manipur in the Rajya Sabha.