Cong demands House resolution on CAB
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, February 15 2019:
Maintaining that there is still possibility of promulgating the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB) 2016 in the form of an Ordinance before the model code of conduct for the Lok Sabha election comes into force, the Congress party has raised two specific demands.
The two demands as pronounced by CLP leader and ex-Chief Minister Okram Ibobi today are; adoption of a resolution in the State Assembly for withdrawal of the CAB 2016 already passed in the Lok Sabha and adoption of another resolution which says that promulgation of CAB 2016 as an Ordinance would not be accepted.
Notably, the next session of the incumbent State Assembly begins from February 20.Speaking to media persons at Congress Bhavan here today, O Ibobi said that no one is sure yet what course the CAB 2016 would take even though it was not tabled in the Rajya Sabha as BJP is known for doublespeak.
Asking whether the ruling parties may move the two resolutions Or whether they (Opposition parties) shall move them, Ibobi proposed that the two resolutions be adopted soon after the Governor's address and a joint team of ruling and Opposition parties may go to Delhi and take the resolutions to the Centre.
"During our one month and a half long campaign against CAB 2016 at Delhi, we asked AICC president Rahul Gandhi to insert a point in the party's election manifesto that the CAB 2016 would be scrapped if UPA comes to power after the Lok Sabha election", Ibobi conveyed.
Another point the State Congress delegates urged the AICC leaders was insertion of a promise in the election manifesto that the special category status withdrawn from the North East States by the NDA Government would be restored.
The sincerity of BJP would be known from their response to the proposal to adopt the two specific resolution in the State Assembly, Ibobi asserted.
Even though the CAB 2016 has not been passed, a gazette notification has already been published contrary to the convention of framing rules for Bills after they are passed by the Parliament and given assent by the President.
This exposes the intention of BJP with regard to CAB 2016, Ibobi continued.
Moreover, the Passport (Entry into India) Rules 1950 has been found amended.
It has also been found that all preparations have been completed to amend the Foreigners Order 1948, said the CLP leader and distributed relevant documents to media persons.
The failure to get the CAB 2016 and the Triple Talaq Bill is the biggest defeat of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Just like the Modi Government at the Centre, the State Government too is accustomed to floating all kinds of false propaganda and lies.
Except for hoodwinking some people to organise grand receptions in their honour, the State Government has no achievement to their credit, Ibobi said.
The ex-Chief Minister said that all the hidden agenda of BJP will be exposed one by one in a series of conferences.
The positions of Meghalaya's Conrad Sangma, the Mizoram Chief Minister and AGP in Assam regarding CAB 2016 were very clear but the BJP leaders of Manipur were urging the people to digest the Bill first.
One Minister even declared that he would kill himself if the Bill contains anything inimical to the interest of Manipur, Ibobi remarked.
The Chief Minister was talking about inserting a special clause.
Perhaps, a special clause could have been inserted if it is a 'family' Bill.
But insertion of any clause in the CAB 2016 is simply unthinkable unless the Bill is withdrawn first, he continued.
Ibobi went on to ask if the BJP-led Government thinks all the people of the State are fools.
MPCC president Gaikhangam said that Congress have been fighting against the Bill in the interest of the people of Manipur considering the seriousness of the issue.
But BJP was advocating the Bill till the 11th hour.
They retracted at the last moment only after realising that the Bill would be defeated undoubtedly in the Rajya Sabha, Gaikhangam said.
The victory of keeping the CAB 2016 at bay is a collective victory of the people of Manipur and the North East.
The one who was garlanded yesterday in connection with the issue has turned out to be a case of a bride garlanding a wrong bridegroom, Gaikhangam said referring to the warm reception function held yesterday in honour of the Chief Minister.
Instead of acknowledging the contributions of all those people who struggled day and night and even faced the brunt of police excesses to keep the Bill out of Rajya Sabha, those who supported the Bill were honoured and garlanded and it was rather unfortunate, Gaikhangam added.
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