Joy foresees stormy session ahead
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, February 06 2025:
Veteran politician O Joy has said that all other businesses have to be cancelled if the Opposition parties raise a no confidence motion in the State Assembly and the same motion is discussed in the House after it is given leave by the Speaker.
Speaking to some media persons today, O Joy remarked that Chief Minister N Biren openly threatening any one who dares to raise a no confidence motion against his Government challenged the Indian Constitution as well as the Parliamentary system of democracy.
The same statement of the Chief Minister harmed the Speaker's prestige and was an act of violating the rights of Opposition legislators, he said.
The people of Manipur wish the legislators of the State to adopt a concrete resolution in the upcoming Assembly session so as to bring the 22 months old violent crisis to an end, he said.
Some time back, the Opposition party urged the Government to convene an Assembly session in order to discuss the protracted crisis and work out a solution.
But the Government was dodging the matter for quite a long time.
The BJP Government does not want to discuss the protracted violent crisis in the State Assembly, Joy said.
The Assembly session which is scheduled to commence from February 10 is unavoidable as Assembly sessions should be held at least once in every six months, he said.
The first Assembly session of a year should be opened with the customary Governor's address.
Supplementary budget as well as the annual budget should be passed in the same session, Joy said.
Many BJP MLAs are now openly demanding replacement of Chief Minister N Biren.
As such, the upcoming Assembly session is likely to be quite stormy, said the veteran politician.
Given the prevailing situation, the Government ought to move a motion of confidence.
This is a Parliamentary convention, Joy said.
If the Government does not move a motion of confidence, the Opposition parties may raise a no confidence motion, he said.
If no confidence motion or motion of confidence is moved in the House, it should be supported by at least 10 Members in order to obtain leave of the State Assembly, he continued.
If the no confidence motion or motion of confidence is supported by 10 Members, the Speaker would grant leave to discuss the motion in the House, O Joy said.
In case the Speaker grants leave to a no confidence motion or a motion of confidence, the same motion should be discussed in the House within 10 days, said the veteran politician.
If a no confidence motion or motion of confidence is raised, the House cannot pass any amendment to the Governor's address nor annual budgets until the Government shows its strength (support by majority MLAs), he asserted.
It is up to the Speaker which motion should be discussed and how if the Government moves a motion of confidence and the Opposition too raises a no confidence motion, he said.
Apart from the five Congress MLAs, the six NPP MLAs would not sit on the Treasury bench.
It means there would be at least 11 Members on the Opposition bench.
The Speaker may grant leave if the Congress and NPP raises a no confidence motion.
Whether the dissident BJP MLAs who seek replacement of Chief Minister N Biren would support the no confidence motion or not would be known only on the day when such a motion is discussed in the House, Joy said.
With regard to the violent crisis besieging the State since May 3, 2023, the veteran politician remarked that the same crisis reflects the Centre's outlook which does not consider Manipur as a part of India.
The President of India's speech given in the Parliament recently was 28 pages long.
Although the President's address had more than 5000 words, there was not a single word on Manipur, he said.
Moreover, the Union Budget tabled by the Finance Minister did not reflect any amount for the people whose houses have been burnt down in the violent crisis besieging the State nor did it earmark funds for any welfare scheme for the displaced people, Joy decried.
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