Congress to Move No-confidence Motion against BJP-led Manipur Govt

The Congress in Manipur submitted a notice for a no-confidence motion against the BJP-led coalition government in the state on Tuesday. Congress legislators K Meghachandra and Th Lokeshwar submitted the notice to the Assembly secretary.

Manipur Congress spokesperson Ningombam Bupenda Meitei said the party was confident that the House will take up the no-confidence motion during the Monsoon Session on August 10.

The Congress has been targeting the Manipur government over what the party called its failure to hand over a 2018 drug haul case to the Central Bureau of Investigation.

Thounaojam Brinda, Additional Superintendent of police, Narcotic and Affairs of Border (NAB), had in June 2018 recovered a consignment of contraband drugs and old currencies from the official quarter of Lukhosei Zou, Chairman of Autonomous District Council (ADC), Chandel district of Manipur.

In her affidavit submitted before the Manipur High Court recently, she had alleged that Chief Minister N Biren Singh had pressured her to release Zhou.

The chief minister has denied the allegations. The woman police officer's affidavit was published in two local newspaper on July 14, following which an criminal contempt case was lodged against them.

The state Congress unit had on July 15 demanded a CBI probe into the case. Meghachandra said that the submission of the no-confidence motion was also in consideration of the FIR lodged against the two local media houses which had published the officer's affidavit. Lokeshwar also urged all to support their cause.

After failed attempts to dislodge the Biren Singh government following the resignation of nine ruling coalition legislators, including four ministers belonging to National People's Party (NPP), the Congress is trying to put the Manipur government on the mat on the drug haul case.

The Manipur political crisis triggered by the resignations was later resolved after intervention of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president JP Nadda. The four NPP ministers returned to the cabinet subsequently.