Recall Manipur governor or ensure she discharges constitutional duties, Congress tells President

The Congress on Wednesday escalated its agitation against the non-implementation of the Manipur High Court order disqualifying 12 MLAs for holding offices of profit. A Congress delegation comprising All India Congress Committee and state Congress representatives met President Ram Nath Kovind and sought the recall of Manipur Governor Najma Heptulla, accusing her of neither implementing the high court order nor acting on the subsequent report the Election Commission of India (ECI) submitted to her on the demand of the Congress party.

The Congress has been maintaining that the high court order was not being implemented for three months only because the disqualification of 12 MLAs – for holding offices of parliamentary secretaries – would reduce the N Biren Singh-led BJP state government into a minority in the assembly.

After the delegation led by Ibobi Singh met the President, Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee chief Govindas Konthoujam said, “The high court has given a judgment declaring appointment of 12 MLAs as parliamentary secretaries as unconstitutional and illegal. We had submitted a memorandum to the Governor of Manipur for the implementation of the order. The ECI has already given their opinion to the Governor. Yet, the Governor is sitting on the HC order and on ECI report for three months now.”

He further said, “We have come to apprise the President of India about all our grievances and requested him to recall the Governor, who has failed to discharge her constitutionally obligatory duties. In Manipur, there is now no Constitution and law… All parliamentary practices and even fundamental rights are being flouted in the state.”