Cong urges Governor to rein in CM Biren

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Feb 3: Congress MLAs have urged Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla to restrain Chief Minister N Biren from making statements which challenges the rights and privileges of the Members of Manipur Legislative Assembly.
Congress MLAs led by CLP leader and former Chief Minister Okram Ibobi talked with Ajay Kumar Bhalla at Raj Bhavan this afternoon and submitted a memorandum to the Governor.
Speaking to media persons at the Raj Bhavan gate, O Ibobi decried that a statement made by Chief Minister N Biren during a Constitution Day observation held at BJP Manipur Pradesh office on December 14 challenged the rights and privileges of legislators.
The Chief Minister was talking about an imaginary situation where some Members of the House raise a no confidence motion against the Government in the forthcoming Assembly session.
N Biren stated that if any Member dare to raise a no confidence motion against the Government, people will hound after them and they will not be able to live at their homes.
Video clips of this speech of the Chief Minister went viral on social media.
Such statements are unbecoming of a Chief Minister and the particular statement challenges the rights and privileges of all legislators, the former Chief Minister asserted.
“We submitted a memorandum requesting the Governor to advise and restrain N Biren from making such statements”, Ibobi said.
Notably, the seventh session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly will commence from February 10.
The Constitution guarantees several rights to Members of the State Assembly. All the businesses of the Assembly should be carried out under the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business. Generally, no confidence motions are raised by Opposition parties, he said.
At present, the Congress party has only five MLAs in the Manipur Legislative Assembly. Whether the Congress party would raise a no confidence motion or not would be determined based on time and situation, the CLP leader stated and aadde this will be decided after considering the interest of the people and the State Government’s failure to fulfil its responsibilities with regard to the violent crisis which is completing two years soon, he said.
The Government should have kept quiet even if a no confidence motion is poised to be raised in the State Assembly but the leader of the Government was speaking in a tone that reeks of mockery, Ibobi decried.
“We are not ones who would be cowed down by threats and intimidation. Congress party would uphold the rights and privileges of its legislators both inside and outside the House. We will protect democracy and safeguard the Constitution”, Ibobi asserted.
If anything unwanted unfolds during the forthcoming State Assembly session, the Governor, being the head of the State, shall be held solely responsible and this was mentioned clearly in the memorandum, the CLP leader added.