Congress questions on government’s decision of CA support rally

Pothashang News Service: Imphal, December 26, 2019: Manipur Pradesh Congress has questioned the BJP over organising public rally in support of the Citizenship (Amendement) Act (CA) 2019 ‘which is opposed by the people’.

“It is surprising that the state government announced to conduct a rally on December 29 in support of the CA. It provokes the people of Manipur who protested against the CA,” Manipur Congress spokesperson Khumukcham Joykishan told reporters here on Thursday.

“The government will be responsible if it results to chaos in the state, he added. “Why is the rally for? He asked.

The opposition would be cheerful if the government organise a rally to bring an end to the present financial crisis including failure of the state government to clear salaries of state employees before Christmas and inability to progress development works, and bringing down the rising price of commodities, said the Congressman.

The proposed rally in support of the CA would mean that the Act would impact in Manipur. If the CA will not impact Manipur the rally need to be suspended instead of creating chaos. It can be analysed whether the government or the people wants chaos, he added.

It is good for the people that Manipur government has asserted that making of rule and regulations for implementation of Inner Line Permit (ILP) in Manipur will begin from the first day of the next year. But, the rule and regulation should be for the betterment of the state, Joykishan said.

He also appealed the government to call a one-day Assembly session for the draft rule and regulation of the ILP before it is published in the gazette.

The government through the Assembly need to convince the people over the apprehension of the people that if the ILP would protect the state from the impact of the Citizenship Act, he said.

In the recent Assembly the ruling party failed to give a concrete answer to whether the ILP would be able to protect Manipur from the CA saying that the regulations of the ILP has not been compiled. It is questionable who are to be restricted from entry into the state under ILP, he added.

In the floor of the house the chief minister (N.Biren Singh) had expressed that ILP is prospective for the state. It seems that the government does not consider the JCILPS (Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System) proposal of 1951 as the base year for the ILP execution as the chief minister had said that the implementation of the ILP in the state is prospective, he said.

It has been said that National People’s Registration will be conducted according which those migrants who stay in the state for six months would be included in the citizenship list. And there arise a question whether those migrants will be included in the citizenship list when the ILP is executed in Manipur. Another concern which is controversial is the chief minister’s assertion that those migrants who stay in rent can be included in the voters list if the landlords certify of their identity. At this point it is questionable that whether an immigrant can be included in voters list of the state where ILP is executed, Joykishan asked.