NPP vindicates withdrawal from BJP-led Govt
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, June 21 2020:
National People's Party (NPP) has spelled out a number of reasons on why the party withdrew its support to the present Government led by N Biren Singh while Manipur and India at large, are facing COVID-19 pandemic.
State NPP president, Thangminlien Kipgen, in a press note maintained that the BJP-led Government in Manipur was formed in 2017 with the support of 4 other parties and an independent MLA.
But still, BJP is running the Government in an autocratic manner and has refused to form a steering committee in order to bring confidence amongst the coalition partners despite NPP's repeated reminders to the CM, it said.
When the Government was formed in March, 2017, NPP had proposed to draw up a "Common Minimum Programme '' for development of the State on priority basis, it said while adding that such proposal was not materialised in spite of repeated reminders.
The party also decried that the BJP-led Government turned deaf ears to give a name to the coalition Government.
After the formation of the Government, BJP had forgotten the existence of NPP and the role they played during the formation of the coalition Government, it said while claiming that they were neither consulted while taking any major decision for the State nor were they invited to any National or State functions.
NPP while citing the case of removal of portfolios from former Deputy Chief Minister Y Joykumar, said that the concerned party (NPP) was not consulted or informed with regard to allotment and removal of portfolios, it said.
The verbal and un-parliamentary language used by BJP MLA and spokesperson, S Rajen (if you have the guts, all 4 Ministers must resign from the Ministry) with regard to rice distribution under NFSA which led to an altercation with the former Deputy CM, was highly objectionable/condemnable, it said.
In spite of the accusation, the former Deputy CM remained silent and practised restraint to safeguard the coalition spirit, it continued.
Terming the style of functioning of the present Government as "autocratic and undemocratic", NPP further stated that the party as a partner in the BJP-led Government, was never invited or consulted to share its views and ideas to decide on a consensus candidate for 2017-Rajya Sabha election, 2019-Lok Sabha election and the recently concluded Rajya Sabha election.