14 member team to leave for Delhi today : Political parties 'agree' on exemption clause
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 28 2019: Even though many of the political parties which attended today's all political parties meeting raised voices of dissent against the State Government's position and proposals on CAB 2016, the State Government has claimed that the meeting agreed on insertion of a clause in the Bill which would exempt Manipur from its purview and also to constitute a joint committee of several political parties to pursue the same matter.

Briefing media persons after the meeting this afternoon at RMSA office Babupara, Education Minister Th Radheshyam claimed that the meeting ended on a positive note and political parties also agreed on sending a joint team to New Delhi to lobby with the Central Government not to pass CAB 2016 in the Rajya Sabha.

The team will leave for Delhi tomorrow to lobby with the Centre, he added.

A 14 member team drawn from different political parties will leave for New Delhi tomorrow.

The 14 are Rajya Sabha MP and State BJP president K Bhabananda Singh, M Asnikumar Singh (BJP), L Basanta Sharma (BJP), Dr Ph Jilasana Sharma (NPP), S Manaoton Singh (AITC), Thoudam Manihar Singh (AAP), Thakhangin (LJP), M Tombi Singh (Shiv Sena), K Khagendra Singh (MNDF), Kh Armstrong Charang (NPF), B Govind Sharma (MPC), T Nabachandra (NEIDP), N Ratan (RSP) and L Seth (PDA).

CAB 2016 seeks to grant Indian citizenship to Hindus, Parsis, Christians, Sikhs and Buddhists who fled to India before December 31, 2014 due to religious persecution in Bangladesh^ Pakistan and Afghanistan but no such people have applied for citizenship in Manipur.

As such, the Bill would not do any harm to the State, Radheshyam said.

To a query if a new clause can be inserted without withdrawing the Bill, Radheshyam claimed that there is a possibility.

He lamented that Congress, MPP and JD-U stayed away from the crucial meeting.

Such crucial issues demand collective efforts of all political parties after leaving aside all differences irrespective of whether one is on the ruling bench or on Opposition bench.

To another query regarding the Government's unwillingness to convene a special session of the State Assembly to discuss the issue, Radheshyam said that convening a special session against a Bill already passed in the Lok Sabha would spark Constitutional crisis and it may even lead to imposition of President's Rule in the State.

On being enquired if the proposed State Population Commission would be authorised to identify immigrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who would be granted Indian citizenship under CAB 2016, the Education Minister ruled out any possibility of such immigrants migrating to Manipur.

The joint committee of political parties set up as per an understanding reached at today's meeting comprises of AITC president Dr S Manaoton, Shiv Sena president M Tombi, AAP convenor Th Manihar, LJP president Thangkhangin, NEIDP vice president A Biren and MNDF convenor Bijoy Koijam.

The joint committee would draft a memorandum which would urge the Central Government to insert a clause which would exempt Manipur from CAB 2016 and protect indigenous people of the State.

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