Centre has no right to meddle in State affairs : Ibobi

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Jun 25: Former Chief Minister Okram Ibobi has categorically stated that the Centre has no right or authority to interfere in the affairs of any State as per the country’s Constitution.
“The Centre may pull down a Government, replace a Chief Minister but we may rather die than live and govern the State at their mercy and diktat”, Ibobi said.
A public function commemorating two years of Prof Bimol Akoijam’s landslide victory in the 18th Lok Sabha elections was held today at JN Dance Academy under the banner “People’s Voice, People’s Resistance”.
Speaking at the event which was attended by many intellectuals, students and public leaders, O Ibobi who is presently serving as the president of Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) appealed to all the people to exercise the rights guaranteed to each and every citizen by the Constitution.
Manipur existed as an independent Nation for millennia with a rich culture  and it somehow merged with India in 1949.
Even though India is a democratic country and it is said that the people’s voice is God’s voice, New Delhi is not listening to the voice of the people of Manipur perhaps because Manipur is a small State or the people’s voice does not sound reasonable enough to them (Central leaders), Ibobi said.
Although Prof Bimol Akoijam was elected as a Congress candidate, what he has been shouting and debating for is not for the Congress party alone.
Prof Bimol will never compromise on the issue of Manipur’s integrity, Ibobi said.
He called upon all the citizens to ponder over the fate of the Indian Constitution and democracy in the backdrop of the existing situation.
By brazenly violating the anti-defection law and defying the 10th Schedule, many MLAs/MPs have been hopping from one party to another in pursuit of their own personal interests, and some parties have been happily accepting these party hoppers.  
Any amendment of the Constitution needs two-third majority in the Parliament. A particular party has been encouraging defection and accepting party hoppers perhaps with the objective of achieving the two-thirds majority needed to amend the constitution, the MPCC president said.
Many citizens might have been already studying the possibility of the particular political party introducing a kind of autocratic rule in the country with all the powers concentrated in their hands once it enjoys two-third majority, he said.
Ibobi warned that India may come under dictatorship once the particular party gets two-third majority.
Commenting on the Modi Government’s announcement to give Rs 10,000 to each woman, Ibobi pointed out that the money would come from the Government’s exchequer, not from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pocket.
If it is about empowering women, it should be done under a proper policy.
If all the women of the country cannot be covered,  it can be done category-wise by grouping women into different categories.
But the BJP Government is giving this money only to women of those States which are going to polls and it smacks of a despicable attitude that votes can be bought with money, Ibobi said.
He asserted that it's time for the people to teach the particular party a befitting lesson.  
The 18th Lok Sabha elections held in Manipur in the midst of the violent crisis which erupted on May 3, 2023 was terrifying and there was no one to listen to the people’s voice, said former Works Minister K Ranjit.
It was in this backdrop that the people elected Prof Bimol Akoijam with a massive mandate to amplify the people’s voice and take it to New Delhi, he said.  
As the time for withdrawal of nomination papers drew near, the ruling party planned to send some armed persons to abduct Prof Bimol and force him to withdraw his nomination papers, Ranjit said.
But the sinister plan of the ruling party was thwarted by the supporters of Prof Bimol, he added.
MLAs Th Lokeshwor and Orkam Surjakumar were also present at the event presided over by Lok Sabha Member Prof Bimol Akoijam.