MEET ON TRUCE ISSUE
Source: The Imphal Free Press
Imphal, July 22:
AICC president Sonia Gandhi' has convened a meeting of all Opposition parties tomorrow evening to discuss the situation in Manipur regarding the cease-fire extension issue with a purpose to moot the issue in the Parliament during the Monsoon session.
This was informed by the convenor and spokesperson of the MPs and MLAs Forum, Manipur, Dr L Chandramani Singh, in a fax message.
Chandramani also said being pressurized by the Forum, NDA convenor George Fernandes assured the Forum to consult the Prime Minister with a purpose to convene a meeting of the NDA tomorrow afternoon regarding the cease-fire extension issue.
The Forum has also urged the Prime Minister to expedite the assured review of the ceasefire from Manipur.
He also said Mulayam Singh Yadav, Somnath Chatterjee, PA Sangma, Raghuvansh Prasad Singh and other prominent leaders have already assured the Forum that the Manipur issue would be raised during the session.
Earlier, the Forum has fully apprised several leaders at the Centre of the situation in Manipur in the wake of the Bangkok cease-fire extension agreement.
They include BJP president Jana Krishna Murthy, Akali Dal leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Yarran Naidu of Telegu Desam Party, Sharad Yadav of Janata Dal (United), Pranab Mukherji and Oscar Fernandes of Congress (I), Ram Bilash Paswan of Lok Jana Shakti, AICC president Sonia Gandhi, AB Bardhan of CPI, Har Kishan Singh Surjit of CPI(M), Lok Sabha Speaker GCM Balayogi, Mulayam Singh Yadav of Samajwadi Party and host of other key leaders.
George Fernandes's assurance to "consult the Prime Minister for convening an NDA meeting regarding the Manipur issue" came after the Forum raised the question of the NDA meeting convened immediately after the recent arrest of former Tamil Nadu CM Karunanidhi on corruption charges in Chennai.
Stating that the Prime Minister is 'seriously considering withdrawal of the cease-fire coverage from Manipur in consultation with the Union' home minister and other senior ministers, Dr L Chandramani also reiterated the Forum's stand to resign en-masse if the cease-fire is not withdrawn from Manipur by July 31.Chandramani also said the Forum members whole-heartedly support the movement launched by the people of both hill and valley to have the cease-fire withdrawn from Manipur.
He also said the democratic form of movement launched by the people is their democratic right.