IMPHAL, Oct 7: Lok Sabha MP from Manipur, Dr Angomcha Bimol Akoijam has lashed out at the BJP legislators of Manipur, accusing them of being more devoted to their central leaders in Delhi than to the people of Manipur.
Addressing the media at his residence in Keishamthong on Tuesday, the Congress MP mocked the BJP MLAs’ repeated visits to the national capital amid the ongoing political crisis. “They are doing Parikrama as true devotees of their central leaders. Their Bhagwan is in Delhi, and they must wait for their Bhagwan to decide what to do,” Akoijam quipped.
Calling the situation “an embarrassment to federal democracy,” Bimol said it was unfortunate that elected representatives in Manipur could not form a government without direction from the central leadership. “In a democracy, legislators should decide their own leaders. But in Manipur, everything is dictated by Delhi,” he said.
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Contrasting the Congress and BJP styles of governance, Akoijam noted that during Congress rule, central leaders only offered guidance to ensure inclusivity without meddling in state leadership decisions.
The MP then said the present crisis revealed the “collapse” of the state administration. “Manipur is functioning without a real government”.
Raising another concern, Akoijam criticised the Special Summary Revision (SSR) of electoral rolls, saying it was being conducted in haste and with flawed intentions.
“The revision seems focused on deleting names rather than including eligible citizens,” he said, calling the move contrary to democratic principles.
Invoking a legal comparison, Bimol remarked, “Just as the law prefers releasing nine guilty persons over convicting one innocent, the electoral process should prioritise inclusion even if errors occur. But here, the focus is on deletion, not inclusion.” He cautioned that such a rushed revision — reportedly completed before the Bihar elections — could disenfranchise genuine voters in Manipur and urged the Election Commission to uphold fairness and transparency in the process. (NNN)
