Imphal, Sep 9: Former Manipur CM O Ibobi Singh on Monday criticised Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla for “selectively” meeting BJP MLAs, stating that it “blatantly lowered” the sanctity of the Raj Bhavan.
BJP MLAs, including former CM N Biren Singh, met Bhalla at the Raj Bhavan on Sunday. Several top government officials were also present at the meeting, which lasted for about 40 minutes.
“The selective invitation undermines democratic norms and sidelines the voices of elected representatives of the people. The meeting was a shocking display of partisanship,” alleged Singh, leader of the Congress legislature party.
He said all members of the assembly must be invited to such meetings.
“If the meeting was meant to address the violence, excluding opposition MLAs is an affront to the people of Manipur. All MLAs should be included in discussions concerning the ongoing crisis, regardless of their party affiliations. Was the meeting related to the visit of PM Narendra Modi and to discuss crowd management?” he asked.
PM Modi is likely to visit the ethnic violence-hit state on September 13, but there has been no official announcement regarding it.
This will be the PM’s first visit to the state after ethnic clashes broke out between the Meiteis and Kukis in May 2023.
The state has been under the President’s Rule since February, with the governor leading the administration.
Singh also sharply criticised the handling of the Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement between the government and armed Kuki groups.
He alleged that the BJP-led government at the Centre has ignored repeated violations of the agreement’s strict ground rules.(PTI)
