Imphal, Nov 18 (IANS) Amidst the rising ethnic violence and withdrawal of support from the BJP government by the National People’s Party (NPP), Chief Minister N. Biren Singh has called a meeting of NDA MLAs on Monday evening to discuss the situation and to take a further course of action.
A close associate of the Chief Minister said that Singh has called all the MLAs of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) comprising BJP, Janata Dal-United, Naga People’s Front and three independents.
“The meeting will be held at the Chief Minister’s secretariat office at around 6 p.m. and it will discuss the prevailing situation in Manipur and take a further course of action,” the associate told IANS on condition of anonymity.
After the withdrawal of support by the NPP, the BJP government faces no imminent threat of instability as the party has 32 legislators, and has support from the JD-U’s six members, the NPF’s five members and three Independent legislators.
However, after the ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3 last year, 10 tribal including seven BJP and two Kuki People’s Alliance legislators, have been boycotting the Assembly sessions and demanding a separate administration or Union Territory for the tribals in Manipur.
Of the 10 tribal MLAs, two are ministers — Letpao Haokip and Nemcha Kipgen (lone woman minister) – are also not coming to the state capital due to security reasons and not attending the cabinet meeting.
The ruling BJP and the Chief Minister did not yet take any action against the party’s seven tribal MLAs.
Meanwhile, 13 civil society organisations belonging to the Meitei community, have called for the resignations of all 50 MLAs in Manipur, including Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, citing a lack of political will and warned of a potential public uprising.
The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), an apex body of the Meitei community, on Sunday, has given a 24-hour ultimatum to the Centre and the state government to take “decisive action” against armed groups or face public anger.
COCOMI Spokesperson Khuraijam Athouba on Sunday urged all the 50 MLAs (excluding 10 tribal legislators), comprising ruling and opposition parties to sit together and take decisive action against the armed groups and to resolve the ethnic crisis.
“If they (MLAs) do not take any decisive actions up to the satisfaction of the people of the state, then the government will bear the brunt of the people’s discontent and anger,” Athouba had told the media.
The opposition Congress, which has five MLAs, said that the people of the state do not support the imposition of the President’s rule in the state while the party announced that their MLAs and MPs will not resign as certain civil society organisations are demanding.
Former three-term Chief Minister and veteran Congress leader Okram Ibobi Singh (2002-2017) said that demands for the resignations of the elected MLAs and MPs are only to divert the attention from the present crisis in Manipur.
He said that if the resignation of the Congress MLAs and MPs helps in the solution of the present ethnic crisis, they are ready to quit their membership in the legislative bodies but at the moment there is no reason to resign.
“It is the responsibility of the Central and state governments to restore peace and normalcy in the state by involving all communities, civil society organisations, political parties and all the stakeholders,” Singh told the media.
Claiming that the constitutional machinery completely collapsed in Manipur, he said that the people of Manipur also do not favour the imposition of the President’s rule.
Resignation of incumbent Chief Minister N. Biren Singh or replacement of the Chief Minister is an internal matter of the ruling BJP, the 76-year-old Congress leader said.
–IANS
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