MPCC flays absence of Manipur crisis in President's speech
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, June 29 2024: Strongly condemning non-inclusion of Manipur crisis in the President's speech in the joint session of Parliament, Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) working president Kh Devbrata has said that Congress party will continue to work both inside and outside the Parliament till resolution of the crisis.

Addressing media persons at Congress Bhawan, here, Saturday, Kh Devbrata said that President Droupadi Murmu delivered her mandatory speech in the joint session of Parliament on June 27 but did not mention about the crisis in Manipur which has been ongoing on since May 3, 2023.The President is empowered to made statement in the Parliament as per Article 87 of the Indian Constitution.

It is mandatory to conduct Parliament session just after the newly elected MPs take oath and make the newly elected MPs aware about the session and such sessions usually commence with the speech of the President highlighting prevailing conditions of the nation and programmes to be taken by the government in the year.

If the Manipur crisis happens to be in the President's speech, steps that the Government of India take up to resolve the crisis would progress automatically as per provisions of the Constitution.

However, missing of Manipur crisis in the President's speech indicates that Prime Minister will continue to remain silent as did since the eruption of violence last year and would never pay attention to Manipur or visit the strife torn state, Kh Devbrata said and expressed suspicion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi having personal enmity with Manipur.

According to Kh Devbrata, which direction the spirit of Parliament will move needs to looked very closely and non-reflection of Manipur crisis in the address of the President in the Parliament would delay India government's efforts of resolving the crisis in Manipur.

Whatever the Congress party has demanded in Parliament by even moving a 'no confidence' motion was all in the interest of Manipur and the House would have taken up the Manipur issue on Friday if there was no adjournment.

Congress party will do whatever possible to resolve the crisis even if the 'Parliament does not resolve it, he assured, while adding that Congress party is committed to safeguarding territorial integrity of Manipur always.

Reacting to chief minister N Biren Singh's repeated accusations of Congress party on key issues like border fencing, SoO camps and conversion of Kanglatongbi and Moreh into ADC, Kh Devbrata said that Congress party had already clarified on the issues in the past.

He also said that all the SoO cadres were in designated camps during the time of the Congress government and there was no violation of ground rules and no violence happened.

However, violence happens now and it is quite illogical to blame the past government for the present crisis, he said and asked if responsibility for the violence happened on May 3, 2023 can be fixed on the past government rather than the present government.

Replying to a query raised by media persons, Kh Devbrata informed that Outer Manipur MP Alfred is likely to visit Jiribam after the end of the ongoing Parliament session and Congress party is providing humanitarian assistance to displaced people in Jiribam with district president leading the team.

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