Imphal, July 9 : Senior Opposition member and MPP Legislature wing leader Okram Joy Singh walked out of the Manipur Assembly today in protest against Speaker Sapam Budhichandra Singh’s failure to take a decision on the resignation of seven Naga MLAs.
The member boycotted the rest of the day’s business.
Joy Singh stormed out of the House after a heated duel with the Speaker.
He raised the issue of the Naga MLA’s resignation after question hour was over, seeking a reply from the Speaker on whether the resignations were accepted or rejected or withdrawn.
The Speaker said he was yet to take a decision on the MLAs,who tendered their resignations in May against the Ibobi Singh government’s decision not to allow NSCN (I-M) leader Th. Muivah to enter Manipur. “I summoned all the seven members to my chamber on May 12 to verify whether they had tendered the resignation voluntarily or under duress. I am not satisfied with the reasons given by the legislators for their resignation. I will take a decision very soon,” he said.
A heated exchange ensued after Joy Singh pressed that the decision should be taken “immediately”. The Speaker retorted that the rulebook did not specify any timeframe.
When the Speaker turned down repeated demands by Joy Singh to announce a timeframe, he stormed out of the House, yelling that he could not sit and discuss state issues with legislators who “supported” designs to break up Manipur.
M. Thohrii (Mao constituency, Senapati), K. Raina (Tadubi, Senapati), Khasim Ruivah (Chingai, Ukhrul), Wungnaoshang Keishing (Phungyar, Ukhrul), W. Morung Makunga (Tengnoupal, Chandel) and Awangbou Newmei (Tamei, Tamenglong) submitted their resignation papers from Delhi on May 6. Two days later, Danny Shaiza (Ukhrul constituency), an Independent, also out in his resignation.
The Manipur Assembly has 10 Naga members. Manipur PCC president Gaikhan-gam, tribal development and veterinary minister D.D. Thai-sii and Independent member Khangthuanang Panmei did not resign though Naga organisations, including the United Naga Council, had asked them to quit the Assembly.
Joy Singh rejected a suggestion by the Speaker that the two should discuss the matter in his chamber.
Of the seven legislators, only Wungnaoshang Keishing attended the opening day of the session yesterday and today. However, he was not present in the House when Joy Singh raised the question.
Earlier in the day, chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh urged the Centre to stop illegal tax collection by the NSCN (I-M) and NSCN (K) cadres from Manipur trucks.
“The militants are imposing illegal taxes right under the nose of Nagaland police and the state government failed to check this. Because of frequent bandhs, highway blockades and harassment by Naga militants, Manipur trucks are unwilling to ply along Imphal-Dimapur highway,” the chief minister told the House while replying to Opposition member Radhabinod Koijam and Joy Singh.
He said Manipur experienced 524 bandhs and 104 highway blockades since 1995.
Manipur lost between Rs 4 to Rs 5 crore per day during bandh and Rs 2 and Rs 3 crore each day during blockades.
Ibobi Singh said his government took a serious view of the bandh and blockade culture and steps were on to check the trend.
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