Ruling MLAs restive as ethnic violence continues
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, September 09 2023:
With no end in sight to the ethnic violence, which has been raging for over four months, it has been reported that the ruling MLAs might do something which could heavily impact the government, provided both central and state government fail to take up any concrete action regarding the violence by September 15.According to a source, chief minister N Biren chaired a meeting with the ruling MLAs at the CM's Secretariat on Friday night.
The meeting, which was attended by most of the ruling MLAs, strongly condemned use of excessive force by central forces including firing at the crowds leading to deaths and baton-charging women, injuring over 100 people, following the gunfight between suspected Kuki militants and village volunteers at Pallel on Friday.
The MLAs also strongly denounced the central government's lackadaisical attitude in curbing the violence, which began on May 3, in addition to curtailing powers to the state government to end the violence.
Thus, all of the ruling MLAs are likely to take up a different decision/step if the central government fails to bring a solution to the violence or hand over the responsibility to the state government to curb the same by September 15, the source conveyed.
Although it was not disclosed what step the ruling MLAs will take, the source stated that it is not going to be a walk in the park.
Due to the violence, the central government had taken full control of the state's law and order situation, thereby curbing powers to related security forces and preventing security forces from executing their duties, which has left the MLAs dissatisfied.
The situation has further heightened fury of the public and strong pressure on the MLAs, which the latter conveyed to the CM.
The exasperated MLAs also expressed their limit to patience over tell-tale signs of the CM unable to impress upc n the centre and the latter exploiting the situation as while the violence continues unabated in the state, the source added.