BJP wants House debate on border fencing, ILP issues
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 18 2013:
Suggesting that winter session of the 10th Manipur Legislative Assembly be extended by atleast a day to accommodate burning issues such as the disputed Indo(manipur)-Myanmar border fencing and Inner Line Permit (ILP) System, State unit BJP today cautioned that failure to acknowledge the public sentiments will constrain BJP to launch intense agitation along with the people of Manipur.
Opining that in the two-day session important issues besetting the State can never be covered, State BJP president Th Chaoba contended that the limited session can only serve interest of the legislators such as hiking salary and pension ceilings.
Stating that issues concerning border fencing and ILP merit debate in the House, he told newspersons at the party's Nityaipat Chuthek office that the Chief Minister should clarify on the raging dispute regarding the border fencing project.
Citing newspaper report about continuous fencing work inspite of the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister contending that the fencing work has been put on hold, the former Parliamentarian reminding that the chief Minister had himself tabled a report in the 2002 session of the House about missing of some border pillars cautioned that sacrificing Manipur's territory under the pretext of promoting India's Look East Policy would be an administrative folly.
Questioning whether the CM would concede in the current sitting that the report tabled in 2002 session was inaccurate, Chaoba also posed if the other members of the House will remain mute on the issue.
He further conveyed that the border fencing issue has been tabled in the Parliament by BJP MPs Sushma Swaraj, who is the Opposition leader in Lok Sabha and Vijaya Chakrabarti as call attention motion and star question respectively.
Joining the media briefing, party's State unit core Committee member Dr RK Ranjan proposing that the border issue be discussed by the members of the House also opined that an all political party report on the same matter be tabled to the House.
Noting that a number of civil society organisations have been campaigning for repealing of AFSPA from Manipur, Dr Ranjan expressed surprise on the silence by these groups when the Disturbed Area status was further extended recently.