Manipur governor violated Constitution by not summoning Assembly session, claims Congress

Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla has violated the Constitution by failing to summon the Assembly for its session, the Congress alleged on Tuesday.

“Today [February 11] is the last day for a constitutionally mandated sitting of the Manipur Legislative Assembly’s session,” party leader Jairam Ramesh said on social media, citing Article 174(1) of the Constitution.

The Article stipulates that there cannot be a gap of more than six months between two sittings of an Assembly session, and the first sitting of the next session.

“Why is the Manipur governor violating Article 174(1)…?” Ramesh asked.

On Sunday, Bhalla revoked his January 24 order summoning the Assembly for its Winter Session. The session was to begin on Monday.

The Congress leader said that the Assembly session was declared null and void because the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party could not appoint a successor to the chief minister “against whom the Congress was scheduled to move a no-confidence motion” on Monday and “who was forced to resign” on Sunday night.

BJP leader N Biren Singh resigned as the chief minister on Sunday evening. This came amid allegations from Kuki-Zomi-Hmar groups that his response to the ethnic violence in Manipur was partisan and that he stoked majoritarianism.

Congress said on Sunday evening that Singh’s resignation, nearly two years after the ethnic conflict…

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