A rally organized by Congress workers and supporters on Monday demanded disqualification of the 12 MLAs who were appointed as the parliamentary secretaries by the BJP government.
Hundreds of Congress party workers and supporters took part in the rally on the streets at Mayang Imphal in Imphal West district after a sit-in-protest. The protest was organized by Mayang Imphal Block Congress Committee. Placards read as “Honour rule of law”, “Honour court’s judgment”, “BJP should stop destroying constitution”, “Save constitution, save democracy”, etc. were displayed during the protest.
In September 2020, the High Court of Manipur pronounced the Manipur Parliamentary Secretary (Appointment, Salary and Allowances and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2012 and the Manipur Parliamentary (Appointment, Salary and Allowances and Miscellaneous Provisions) Repealing Act, 2018 invalid and unconstitutional.
A division bench of the Court delivered the judgment in response to the petitions filed by four persons including two Congress MLAs in 2018 challenging the appointment of parliamentary secretaries at the same time quashing the Act. The Court passed the order based on the ruling of the Supreme Court in the case of Bimolangshu Roy versus the state of Assam.
Following the judgment of the court, the Congress party has been demanding disqualification of the 12 MLAs in Manipur who were appointed as parliamentary secretaries. The party had even sought intervention of the state Governor in this regard.
Taking part in the protest, former Works minister and senior Congress leader Kh Ratankumar alleged that even after judgement of the Court, any of the authorities including Election Commission of India has not taken up to disqualify the 12 MLAs of the ruling parties. He said that after the passing of the judgment, the Congress party had approached the Manipur Legislative Assembly and the Governor to take up the needful steps to disqualify the MLAs.
Failure on the part of the authorities, the party had even “knocked the door of ECI”. However, no action is taken up so far from the ECI side, he said.
NNN