Opposition members skip discussion after chaos
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, March 01 2024: Entire members of the opposition Congress party skipped discussion and stayed at the lobby of the House briefly on the third day of the 5th Session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly on Friday after private member resolutions proposed by them did not figure in the business list.

Prior to skipping the discussion, the opposition members had heated exchange of words with the treasury bench and then moved to the Opposition lobby without taking part in the discussion.

Earlier, Congress MLA K Ranjit drew attention of the House that it is usual for assembly session to take up Private Member Resolution every Friday and discuss the same.

Apart from stressing that it would right to discuss how to resolve the ongoing violence and restore peace, K Ranjit said the Opposition brings voices of different organisations and CSOs for discussion in the House.

It was for the betterment of the state that ministers and MLAs took a decision inside Kangla on January 24 and the decision was not against any community.

However, a Private Member Resolution proposed by the Opposition for discussion about the decision taken in Kangla has been declined.

The Resolution moved by NPF's Leishiyo Keishing regarding NRC was also among the proposals made by the Opposition, Ranjit said.

Expressing happiness over the Private Member Resolution on NRC moved by Leishiyo, K Ranjit assured that the Opposition bench will support the same and suggested inclusion of Private Member Resolutions proposed by Opposition members for resolving the violence so that all the related matters could be passed in the House collectively.

When K Ranjit further demanded to know reasons for non-admission of Private Member Resolutions proposed by Opposition members and asked as to why rights of the members had been violated though the resolutions were proposed for discussion, speaker Th Satyabrata intervened stating it is not the norms to raise question to the speaker during House proceeding.

When Th Satyabrata further said that the matter is well known to senior member, a heated argument ensued between the speaker and K Meghachandra of the Congress party.

The House then witnessed a chaotic situation when other members from both the Ruling and Opposition benches expressed their opinions.

Th Satyabrata then told the Opposition members that they may leave the House if not interested in taking further part in the proceedings and even cautioned of initiating necessary action.

After the heated argument, entire Opposition members namely O Ibobi Singh, K Ranjit, K Meghachandra, Th Lokeswar and Surjakumar Okram went out of the House and stayed at the Opposition lobby.

After the end of third day's session.

0 Ibobi told media persons outside the assembly complex that the Opposition did not boycotted Friday's session but simply stayed at the lobby after rights of a member seems to have been violated.

Assembly session usually takes up Private Member Resolutions on every Friday but there is no another Friday for the ongoing session as it is only for five days.

Accordingly, a Private Member Resolution on the decision taken inside Kangla on January 24 was proposed for inclusion in the business list so as to strengthen the decision taken in Kangla.

However, the resolution did not figure in the business list, Ibobi said adding that the Opposition supported the resolution on NRC taken in 2022.He also clarified that Opposition went out of the House on emotion after heated exchange of words in the House.

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