IT News
Imphal, Aug 29:
The Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) raised concerns about the BJP-led state government’s impact on India’s democratic system. They expressed their disapproval by hoisting a black flag at Congress Bhavan today, following a short 45-minute session of the Manipur Legislative Assembly. The MPCC accused the state government of disregarding the rules and procedures of the assembly, and labeled the session as a “dark day in the history of Parliamentary Democracy of India.
During a press conference after the session, Okram Ibobi Singh, the leader of the Congress Legislature Party, criticized the way the assembly was convened, considering the ongoing crisis. He mentioned that the government did not clarify whether the session was an emergency, short notice, or a regular one. Ibobi Singh stated that if it was a regular session, the governor should have summoned it 15 days prior. However, this was not done. The Congress party presented a resolution during the Business Advisory Committee meeting on August 15, focusing on maintaining peace, safeguarding integrity, and resolving the current crisis. Unfortunately, their resolution was not considered.
Ibobi Singh accused the government of denying their right to discuss matters of their choosing, suggesting that the session was called merely to prevent a constitutional crisis. He emphasized the importance of the opposition party’s role in a democratic government and believed that the assembly should be the platform for discussing the ongoing ethnic crisis in Manipur. He clarified that the Congress party’s demand was to address issues unrelated to ongoing investigations or court cases.
It is worth mentioning that the Congress Party strongly opposed the session and attended it while holding a play-card that read “Save Democracy. Due to their protest, the assembly adjourned for 30 minutes shortly after starting at 11 a.m. The session resumed around 11:40 a.m. but the speaker of the Manipur Legislative Assembly, Thokchom Satyabrata Singh, adjourned the session sine die at approximately 11:42 a.m. stating that such disruptions could not continue.
