IMPHAL, August 18: The BJP, Manipur Pradesh has questioned the Congress government on measures taken up during the last 12 years to check influx of foreigners into the State.
Speaking in a press meet held at the party’s Nityaipat Chuthek office today, BJP Manipur Pradesh spokesperson RK Shivachandra also questioned the Chief Minister’s Independence Day speech, when he had said all 60 MLAs are ready to resign if they are unable to meet up to the demand of the people.
He asked whether the opposition MLAs are okay with the Chief Minister’s announcement and if they are not then why is there no reaction from them?
The lack of any reaction from the other party MLAs shows that there is no opposition in the State, he said.
During the last 12 years of ruling the State, the Congress has never taken any serious step regarding the implementation of the Inner Line Permit System in the State, he continued.
Shivachandra also questioned whether the Congress has made any proper reply to the Union Home Minister’s strong declaration made on June 9, 2012 that the Inner Line Permit System cannot be implemented in Manipur.
If it has then the public should be made aware of the reply, he continued.
The Assam government has prepared a white paper on the problem of foreigners in their State, he said alleging the Manipur government of neglecting the issue.
Coming to the Chief Minister’s reaction against a student disruption during the Independence Day celebration, the BJP Manipur spokesperson said the students were not pressured, but it was a voluntary action on their part as they were aware of the problems that mass influx of outsiders into the State will bring.
He further sought clarification from the deputy Chief Minister on why the government is neglecting the ILPS issue for such a long time.
The all-political parties committee had met on August 9 and decided to send proposal inviting legal experts to submit opinion on the ILPS, he said before adding that although he is a member of the committee, he is unaware of what was written in the proposal sent to the legal experts.
He said as the committee continues to wait for the opinions from the experts, agitations and protests demanding ILPS implementation continue.
Shivachandra continued it is better for the chairman of the committee to interact frequently with the experts and other academicians on the issue.
He said the BJP would like the committee to accelerate its progress so that the party could pressure the Centre on the issue.
If the committee cannot pressure the Centre, the BJP will take its own course of action, he said.