Ibobi, Gaikhangam question BJP on CAB
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 30 2019: Taking strong exception to the repeated claim of the State Government and BJP Manipur Pradesh that CAB 2016 will not harm Manipur, ex-Chief Minister and CLP leader Okram Ibobi has asked the BJP leaders on what ground they have been saying that the Bill will not affect Manipur.

Speaking to media persons by the sideline of a death anniversary function of Mahatma Gandhi at Congress Bhavan here today, Ibobi asked BJP leaders to tell in clear and unambiguous terms whether the Bill will affect Manipur or not.

Informing that many Congress MLAs have already reached Delhi, Ibobi said that he and MPCC president TN Haokip would leave for Delhi today to meet Central leaders and urge them to block the CAB 2016 in the Rajya Sabha.

Ibobi said that the Congress delegation would also meet leaders of other like-minded political parties.

He said that they have urged Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, Congress leader in Rajya Sabha Gulam Nabi Azad and ex-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to see that the CAB 2016 is defeated in the Rajya Sabha.

Regarding their abstinence from the all political parties meeting, Ibobi said that the Congress party has been opposing the Bill since a long time back but the leaders of the State Government do not have the will and courage to oppose it.

The Nagaland Cabinet has already passed a resolution against the CAB 2016 but to the leaders of the State, the seats of power are more important, he asserted.

It is rather shameful that the State Government has been saying they would urge the Central Government to insert a special clause even though it has been already passed in the Lok Sabha, Ibobi remarked.

Lamenting that the State Government stubbornly refused to a call a special session of the State Assembly so as to adopt a collective resolution on the CAB 2016, Ibobi clarified that Congress party has no intention to take any political advantage out of the restive situation triggered by the passage of the Bill.

Meanwhile, Congress Working Committee (CWC) Member and ex-Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam remarked that the State Government's position on CAB 2016 appeared to be vague and the Government leaders are apparently adopting an attitude of doublespeak on the issue.

Speaking to media persons at his Babupara official residence this afternoon, Gaikhangam remarked that the people are confused whether the BJP-led Government is supporting or opposing the Bill.

At first Chief Minister N Biren and many spokespersons of BJP Manipur Pradesh were boldly claiming that the Bill would not affect Manipur.

But after massive uproars erupted in the entire North East region against the Bill, Chief Minister N Biren stated that the State Government would invest all efforts to see that a clause is inserted in the Bill which would exempt Manipur from its purview.

These contradictory statements are clear testimonies of how the State Government has been trying to befool the masses, Gaikhangam asserted.

He went on to question whether the all parties meeting convened by the State Government at the 11th hour was an appeal to the political parties to support the Bill.

Congress party has been opposing the Bill since the day it was tabled in the Lok Sabha in 2016 .

A team of MPCC led by the CLP leader met AICC leaders; the JPC Chairman, the Union Home Minister and the President of India and urged them to scrap the Bill apart from submitting representations to this effect, he continued.

Had the BJP-led Government convened an all political parties meeting and a special session of the State Assembly at that time, a strong and clear message that the State of Manipur opposes the Bill could have been sent to the Central Government, he rued.

The State Government's claim that they would urge the Central Government to insert a special clause for exemption after the Bill has been already passed in the Lok Sabha is nothing but hogwash, Gaikhangam asserted.

Even though the NDA Government's first attempt to table the Bill in the Rajya Sabha was thwarted, there is a strong apprehension among the masses that the Central Government may table the Bill in the Rajya Sabha at any unguarded moment and get it passed, said the ex-Deputy Chief Minister.

As for the Congress party, it would raise vehement objection if the NDA Government dares to table the Bill in the Rajya Sabha, he added.

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