Imphal, Dec 24 (IANS): Manipur's Legislative Affairs and Law Minister Basanta Kumar Singh on Tuesday refuted the opposition Congress’ allegation that the state government violated constitutional norms by not holding the winter session of the state Assembly.
Singh, who also holds the Education portfolio, citing provisions of the Constitution stated that the sessions of the state legislative Assembly shall be summoned to meet at least twice every year and the budget and the autumn sessions were already held this year.
The Minister said that Congress's allegation that the state government violated the Constitutional provisions by not convening the state Assembly sessions is false.
“During the previous Congress government headed by former Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh (2002-2017), there have been at least five occasions when Assembly sessions were held twice in a calendar year. The BJP government in Manipur never violated the constitutional provisions," he told the media.
Singh said that the state government has always followed the mandatory provisions of the Constitution.
In a normal situation, the state government had summoned the sessions of the Manipur Assembly three times between 2017 and 2020, he stated.
The Minister said that during the Covid pandemic in 2021 and the outbreak of ethnic violence since May 3, 2023, the state government was unable to fulfil the provisions stipulated in the rules due to unavoidable circumstances and adversities faced by people during this period.
Legislative Affairs and Law Minister made the clarifications days after the allegations of the opposition Congress that the BJP-led government violated constitutional provisions by not holding the winter session of the Assembly.
Former Chief Minister and veteran Congress leader Okram Ibobi Singh on Saturday (December 21) alleged that the BJP government in Manipur has been violating constitutional provisions by not convening the winter session of the state Assembly.
Singh, who is also the Congress legislature party leader, had said that the state government is violating the provisions of the Constitution by not holding the Assembly sessions in the stipulated period.
Referring to the Constitutional provisions and other rules, the former Chief Minister told the media that three Assembly sessions -- budget, autumn and winter -- must be held in a calendar year.
However, the state government is yet to summon the winter session even though the calendar year is almost over now, the Congress leader said, adding that they have submitted a memorandum to the governor, the Speaker and the chief minister requesting them to convene the winter session immediately.