Congress demands to know NPF’s stand on unity, wants special assembly session

By A Staff Reporter

IMPHAL | Oct 29

The Manipur Pradesh Congress Party, MPCC, has demanded a clarification from the ruling BJP on the stand of its coalition partner the Naga People’s Front, NPF, on the territorial integrity of Manipur.

The opposition party came up with the demand following reports of the failure of the NPF to positively respond to the all political party meeting convened by the chief minister, N. Biren, yesterday on the Naga peace talks issue.

The NPF not only stayed away from the all party meeting but came out with a release reiterating its pledge to work for unity and integrity of the Nagas, including by tearing away all the Naga inhabited areas from Manipur.

A press conference was held late in the evening at Congress Bhawan in which former chief minister of Manipur O. Ibobi Singh, maintained that latest development has not only confused but fuelled speculations and uncertainties in the minds of the people on the relationship between BJP and its coalition partner NPF.

The all party meet was intended to strengthen the BJP-led government’s stand in protecting Manipur’s integrity but NPF strayed at this crucial time, he said.

Subsequently, the BJP particularly the chief minister should come out with a “clear cut” clarification on the stand of the NPF in Manipur’s unity issue, he contended.

In the meantime, Ibobi opined that the Congress party can be no part of any all political party meeting in the future which lacks clarity on the interest of the people.

“We cannot be a blind follower of any initiative unless there is a clear cut stand from both the BJP and NPF. By this we don’t mean to abstain from our duty of safeguarding our state but we are apprehensive of backlash from the public if the proceedings remain uncertain as was the case yesterday”, Ibobi said.

Ibobi Singh also demanded the government to summon an emergency special session of the Manipur Legislative Assembly not only to discuss the question of protection of the territorial integrity of Manipur but also administrative integrity of Manipur.

According to Ibobi granting separate administrative unit in hills is more serious than compromises on the territorial integrity of Manipur.

Nevertheless, he maintained that the Congress party is not against development of hills but against any deceptive policy that could be detrimental to the unity of the state adding that his party would continue to support development of hills.

He further demanded the government clarification on the status of the resolution on protecting Manipur’s integrity, taken in the House during the July session.

Even as the NDA government led by Modi has been talking about transparency in governance, it is seen that it has kept the people of Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh in the dark in the case of “Framework Agreement”, asserted Ibobi.