MPCC alleges govt’s failure to hold regular legislative sessions causing ‘constitutional crisis’

Newmai News Network

IMPHAL: The Congress party in Manipur alleged today that there is a “constitutional crisis” in the state as the incumbent government has failed to summon or convene a normal session of the Manipur Legislative Assembly.

Addressing a press conference at Imphal Congress Bhavan, Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president K Meghachandra alleged that “BJP’s double engine government” has murdered democracy in Manipur. The constitution has also been bulldozed, he added.

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The MPCC chief said that as per the norms, at least one assembly session must be held in every six months and the mandatory notice for convening the session should be issued to the members of the house at least 15 days ahead of the scheduled session.

The sitting of the last normal session of the state Assembly was held till March 2. Counting from the last day, the six months period falls on September 2 and for this, members have to be notified on or before August 16.

However, no Congress MLA received the notification till date.

As there is no time to convene the normal session of the state Assembly, there is “constitutional crisis” in the state, Meghachandra said.

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He also read out the rules under conduct of business of the house of the Assembly, which includes among others, notifying the members of the house at least 15 days ahead of the scheduled session of the Assembly.

The rules of the Assembly framed under the Constitution of India have been violated in the state, he further alleged.

Failure to convene the normal session of the Assembly is nothing but suppression of democratic rights of the people, particularly the members of the house, the Congress leader alleged.

Meghachandra then said that after the eruption of the violence more than three months ago, not only the Congress and other political parties but also civil society organisations had demanded an emergency session of the state Assembly.

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The Congress had repeatedly urged the government, even by meeting with the Governor, to convene the special or emergency session while the Parliament session was going on to draw the attention of the parliament on the crisis unfolding in the state, he pointed out.

“The BJP-led government in the state didn’t convene the session for reasons best known to them and even after the constitutional obligation to convene the Assembly session before September 2, the government again did not summon the session,” he added.

“It is nothing but murder of democracy. The BJP in power has bulldozed the democracy from the state,” the Congress leader also said.

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