Private Member resolution on Kangla Meepham not taken up for discussion
Ibobi decries refusal to entertain motion
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, March 01 2024: Former Chief Minister Okram Ibobi has stated that the Speaker of the House not listing the Private Member Resolution tabled by four Congress MLAs to discuss the resolutions taken during 'Kangla Meepham' is questionable.

Speaking to the media in front of the Assembly complex at the end of third sitting of the session today, O Ibobi continued that four Congress MLAs tabled the Private Member Resolution in advance but the same was not taken up by the Speaker for discussion.

The former Chief Minister also said that interacting with media persons outside the Assembly complex was not done earlier as per the convention of the House.

Private Member resolution on Kangla Meepham not taken up for discussion

Saying that they were compelled to interact with journalists as their rights of being members of the House have been undermined which is very unfortunate, O Ibobi said that they believe there was nothing wrong in the Private Member Resolution they tabled.

Ibobi said that the Private Member Resolution was brought up in advance to reiterate the resolutions taken by Parliamentarians and MLAs during the Kangla Meepham convened on January 24 .

Ibobi said that Chief Minister N Biren Singh also signed the joint resolutions though he didn't take part in the meeting.

Saying that six resolutions were taken during the meeting summoned by Arambai Tenggol in front of Kangla Uttra, the former Chief Minister continued that the resolutions were to update NRC with 1951 as the base year, abrogate SoO pact, deportation of Myanmar Nationals at detention centres, fencing Indo-Myanmar border, replacement of Assam Rifles with another force and to delist illegal immigrants from Scheduled Tribe (ST) list of the Constitution.

Ibobi said that the Congress party endorses the Private Member Resolution tabled to update NRC in the context of Manipur during today's sitting.

The fact of matter is that the resolution to update NRC was already taken on August 5, 2022 and today's decision is only a reaffirmation of the stand, he added.

At what stage is the resolution taken in 2022 to update NRC at the moment, he asked.

Saying that Private Member Resolution can be tabled only on Friday as per the House convention and upto five such resolutions can be discussed in a day, Ibobi asked why the Private Member Resolution tabled by the Congress was skipped.

Ibobi said that they walked out of the House to show their annoyance against the ruling of the Speaker and the same should not be taken as disrespecting the House or the Speaker or boycotting or abstaining the Assembly session.

The former Chief Minister also said that they are not blaming the Speaker as there may be some communication gap.

Other Congress MLAs K Ranjit, K Meghachandra, Th Lokeshwar and O Surjakumar also attended the media briefing.