The Manipur Legislators who did not attend the meeting called by Chief Minister N Biren Singh with regards to the Jiribam incident said that they haven’t received any notice from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) for not attending the meeting.
“No notice was received from the CMO for not attending the meeting”, the MLAs, who did not attend the meeting, said when asked about the notice. They also said that they know nothing about it.
According to some reports, the Chief Minister’s Office had served notices on 11 MLAs, including ministers, for not attending the meeting convened by CM Biren on Monday to discuss the law-and-order situation in Manipur.
“The CMO has no jurisdiction to issue notice to other party MLAs, except the CM himself”, said an MLA.
It also reported that NPP served show-cause notice to three of its seven MLAs for attending the meeting despite the party having withdrawn its support.
While enquiring about it to National vice president Y Joykumar of the NPP, he said that the party cautioned the three MLAs who attended the meeting. However, no show-cause notice was served, he added.
Joykumar said Conrad did not make any confusion but he made it very clear that in case Biren is replaced, then the NPP may reconsider its stand. CM Biren had totally failed to take care of the state of Manipur and to bring back normalcy, he said.
Now, if CM Biren is removed there is a chance that a new government may take exercises and act on bringing normalcy in the state. That time, the NPP may reconsider, said Joykumar.
He said that the notification of the meeting for the MLAs and minister of NDA was called by the CM. He also said that the withdrawal of support is from Biren-led BJP government and not the NDA. Biren has taken advantage of that and confused the MLAs, he added.
The government in Manipur is not the NDA government, it is pure Biren-led BJP government, he said, adding “We have already cautioned MLAs, telling them that there is no NDA government, and what they have done is wrong. In future, if such situations arise, they should seek permission from the state president or national president. Only after that they can attend, or otherwise they are liable to disciplinary action”.
“People are fed up with this government, they believe that this government is incapable. I should have resigned if I am CM or MLA”, said Joykumar.
While talking to MLA Janghemlung Panmei about his fake signature, the MLA said that he did not attend the meeting but he gave consent to sign it to one of his colleagues.
NDA has a strength of 53 in the 60-member assembly. The alliance includes seven NPP MLAs, five from Naga People’s Front (NPF), one of JD(U) and three Independents, one of whom is a Kuki. Seven of BJP’s 37 legislators are Kukis, all of whom were absent from the meeting. Surprisingly, four of NPP’s seven legislators were part of the discussion despite the party no longer supporting the Biren Singh government.
A prominent BJP absentee was rural development minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh.
Three party MLAs and one from NPF provided prior intimation about their inability to attend the meeting, citing health concerns.
The opposition bench has five Congress legislators and two from Kuki People’s Alliance.
