IMPHAL, Aug 29: Manipur PWD minister Govindas Konthoujam
on Tuesday said “unconstitutional and unruly behaviour” by the
opposition Congress during the one-day assembly session was
very unfortunate.
Konthoujam told reporters that the opposition created a ruckus
when the Speaker entered the House and continued to disturb
even when obituary references were made.
The one-day session was adjourned sine die within an hour of
commencement after Congress MLAs created a ruckus
demanding that the session be extended to five days.
“The opportunity to discuss important matters of the state for
the whole day was not allowed by the Opposition members,”
the minister said.
“People of the state should know that Congress created a lot of
disturbances in the House,” Konthoujam added.
Education and law minister Th Basanta said, “Even before
Speaker Thokchom Satyabrata Singh could say something,
Congress members started shouting and disturbed the
functioning of the House.”
“The speaker had no choice but to adjourn the House for about
half-an-hour so that they (opposition) could rethink and come
back to discuss the current situation of the state in a civilised
and proper manner. However, when the House resumed, the
opposition leaders continued their protests and did not allow
the House to function,” Basanta said.
Meanwhile, Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee in a
separate press conference said the session was a “dark day in
the parliamentary democracy of India.”
Congress leader O Ibobi Singh said, “The assembly session was
convened only to avoid a constitutional crisis and not for public
interest. The state government is doing whatever it wants. The
members are being deprived to raise questions.”
“We do not want to shout in the House, but we had no choice
against the dictatorial attitude of the government,” Ibobi said,
adding, “There is no rule of law but dictatorship, that’s why we
condemn it.”
“We had urged for a five-day session but it was not allowed.
We had requested for a discussion on the current situation of
the state in public interest but that was not allowed. After
obituary references, the session was adjourned. This is
unfortunate,” Ibobi said.
All the 10 Kuki MLAs were absent from the House. (PTI)
