UT News Service | IMPHAL, Aug 17: Congress party in Manipur on Monday demanded the resignation of N Biren Singh as chief minister of the state on moral ground after a police sub-inspector allegedly involved in a drug trafficking case was awarded Chief Minister’s Medal for Gallantry.
“Conferring the gallantry award to the police sub-inspector once arrested with drugs has shown that there is no accountability and responsibility in the N Biren led government in the state”, Congress MLA K Meghachandra who is also the spokesperson of Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) said at an online press conference here.
Meghachandra said that the Home department which the chief minister is in-charge approved the list of police personnel recommended for the award. He also said that the selection of the awardees among the police personnel was a lengthy process. “A recommendation from a committee comprising top officials of the Police department as members has to be put up for approval to the Home department before obtaining final approval from the Raj Bhavan,” the Congress leader said. He added that before sending for final approval to the Governor, the list of the personnel recommended by the committee has to be approved by the Home department which the chief minister is in-charge.
He also said that the order for conferring the award was issued in the name of the Governor on the advice of the Home department.
“So, there is lapses and lack of accountability on the part of the government in the selection of the awardees. The inclusion of the sub-inspector involved in the drug case has raised a big question mark to the credibility of the conferment of the prestigious award among the police personnel,” the Congress leader also said.
“The action said to have been initiated by the government regarding the controversy will not be able to satisfy the people. It is nothing but fooling the people,” the MPCC spokesperson said.
He then said that the chief minister himself had reduced his own “war on drug” to a mockery.
The Congress leader then said that the chief minister must take the moral responsibility for the controversy as he is the in-charge of the Home department. IG (intelligence) who led the committee for selecting the awardees has also the responsibility.
“They cannot escape from this controversy. They should resign on moral ground”, Meghachandra demanded.
NNN