One-day session not in public interest: Congress
Ibobi submits dissent note at BAC meeting; Meghachandra rues violation of members' rights
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, August 26 2023: The Congress party has raised strong disagreement over the upcoming session of Manipur Legislative Assembly on August 29, adding that the one-day sitting is being convened in name only and not in the interest of the people of Manipur.

Addressing a press meet at Congress Bhawan, BT Road on Saturday, CLP leader and ex-chief minister Okram Ibobi iterated that the upcoming session on August 29 is being convened for namesake.

As such, he submitted a dissent note during the meeting of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) held earlier in the day, stating that the session is not in public interest but rather unfortunate for the people of Manipur.

Ibobi continued that counting from the last session, the next session is to be held within six months i.e., by September 2, or a constitutional crisis is imminent.

Thus, the session is being held on August 29 to prevent such a scenario.

However, the agendas of the one-day session will be about offering obituaries to deceased members.

As a member of the House, he suggested that the session be extended for five days to discuss the violence in the state, which has been going on for more than three months.

Convening a session for only a single day may prevent a constitutional crisis, but this would likely be the first in the history of the state's Assembly.

However, the other members rejected the suggestion for extending the session to five days as they are in support of the ruling party, the CLP leader conveyed.

He said that according to the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business, the Governor should summon the House 15 day prior if the House had been prorogued.

The cabinet took the decision to hold the session on August 29.As the session is mandated to be held within six months, it cannot be convened as short notice/emergency/special session.

If the House had adjourned sine die, the speaker can convene the session anytime.

Unfortunately, the rules have been violated in this instance, considering members have to submit the questions and queries of the people to the government todays prior to the session or the same will be rejected by the Assembly.

The violation of all these rules has also deprived the members of their rights, he remarked.

Questioning the meaning of the rule of law if the government acts wilfully regardless of the people's wishes and interests, Ibobi referred to the Supreme Court's observation that the present government has failed to maintain law and order, and there is total breakdown of constitutional machinery in the state.

He further questioned how far would the appeals be filed in the direction of the apex court to submit the investigation reports over the violence which had swept over the state since May 3.Responding to questions from reporters on whether the Congress MLAs would participate in the session, the CLP leader said that the matter is a bit early and the party has yet to make a decision.

Stating that the agenda is going to be obituary references, he said, "in my experience, on a day when obituary references are taken up, no other business is discussed".

Members of the BAC held a meeting to discuss the time allocation of business for the one-day session.

"As a member of the committee, I suggested that the session be held at least for five days to discuss the unprecedented situation in the state.

The opposition has just four or five members.

We are not here to criticise the government, but discuss issues of public interest," Ibobi added.

"The one-day session by the government is to avoid a constitutional crisis," he said, adding, "Having a session for a day is not in public interest".

Similarly, stating that the upcoming session of the Manipur Legislative Assembly on August 29 is not being convened as per the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business and rules are being simplified, thereby depriving members of the House of their rights, Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman MLA K Meghachandra has denounced the violation of the democracy and prescribed rules in this regard.

Addressing a press meet held in his office chamber at Manipur Legislative Assembly on Saturday, Meghachandra said that the members have been deprived of exercising their rights as per the rules ahead of the assembly session on August 29.Rules 4 (1) and (2) lay down the guidelines for conducting a session, and as per Rule 4 (2), a 15-day notice is to be issued before summoning the assembly but no such time has been given with regard to the upcoming session.

Instead, a small part of the rules from the provision of short notice/emergency session along with part of the rules for a normal session from Rules 4(2) has been taken out to ensure the upcoming session is conducted as a normal session.

While those unaware of the rules will see it as a normal session, but the reality is that all the rules of assembly procedure have been grossly violated, he remarked.

Informing that members are being deprived of their rights to ask questions or move resolutions during the session, he pointed out that the notice for the assembly session was issued on August 21, thus giving only eight days to the members to prepare for the session.

Meghachandra continued that a 10-day preparation time is required to ask any starred questions.

However, the members do not have enough time to prepare the questions, while other proceedings have also been affected.

MLA K Ranjit, who also attended the press meet, recounted that Congress delegations had met the Governor thrice and requested for summoning the House, especially during the session of the parliament so that the state assembly could take a resolution for protecting Manipur's integrity and forwarding the same to the parliament, but to no avail.

However, the upcoming one-day session is being convened in name only and could be regarded as an example of further prolonging the violence in the state.

If someone were to appeal to the court regarding this constitutional violation and if the court were to rule the same, the government would have to go and the President's Rule could be imposed in the state.

The government should be held responsible if such a situation were to occur, he said.

Chipping in, MLA Th Lokeshwar questioned how the members are going to raise and speak about the issues affecting the people during a one-day session, when no time has been provided either for questioning or discussion.

He further asked under which rules will the resolutions for restoring peace are adopted.

Thus, the upcoming fourth session of the Manipur Legislative Assembly is in blatant violation of the Constitution and not applicable under any rules, he remarked.

MLA O Surjakumar observed the upcoming session on August 29 is illegal considering the varied violations of Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business.

He then questioned who was the government waiting after making a decision to convene the Assembly, while further asking if the session is being convened to protect the BJP ministers and MLAs including those in support of the government, who have been demanding for separation of Manipur.

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