Congress MLAs RK Imo and Okram Henry have submitted their replies to respective show cause notices served by Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) in connection with cross voting in the recent Rajya Sabha election and allegations of indulgence in anti-party activities.
Sagolband MLA RK Imo, in his reply confessed that he is unwilling to accept the leadership of Okram Ibobi as Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader.
“I strongly believe that the Congress party will never come back to power in the state of Manipur as long as self-serving person like O Ibobi remains as its leader,” his reply said, adding, “Therefore, it would be in the best interest of the INC to remove O Ibobi as the leader of the CLP and if it is done many MLAs and other leaders of the party will surely come back, which will in-turn strengthen the INC in the state”.
Imo’s reply also stated that there is a serious discontentment among the members of the Congress party against Ibobi as “he is a kind of person who only thinks about his personal gain and always tries to promote his immediate family members only”.
“His involvement in various scandals, including Central Bureau of Investigation cases, has destroyed the credibility of Congress party in the state,” it said.
The show cause notice served on July 24 and published on July 25 in newspapers demanded an explanation from the two MLAs for their indulgence in anti-party activities within two weeks.
Both Imo and Henry, in their replies, denied the allegations in the show cause notices and urged for withdrawing and rejecting the same.
Imo said that he voted in favour of Leishemba Sanajaoba, who was the BJP candidate, as he is the most deserving and capable person to hold the post of Rajya Sabha MP and also represents the collective will of the people of Manipur.
Wangkhei MLA Henry said that his voting in favour of Sanajaoba was in national interest as the Maharaja of Manipur stands for national integrity and communal harmony.
“Moreover, conjoint reading of the provisions of Section 59 of the Representations of People Act, 1951; the provisions of the Constitution of India and the rules framed Election Commission of India; the whip issued by a political party does not apply in the Election to Council of States (Rajya Sabha),” both the MLAs pointed out in their replies.
In regards to the allegation of frequent physical identification with the BJP chief minister of the state which were often exhibited in the print and electronic media, Imo said that he owes some social, personal and sometimes even religious responsibilities as he is the son-in-law of the present chief minister.
Regarding his presence during the felicitation programme of Sanajaoba on being elected the Rajya Sabha MP, Henry’s reply said that he went to attend a meeting in connection with the problems faced by the various quarantine centres with the chief minister and officers of the health department. “Co-incidentally, I found that the felicitation programme was also being held on the same day. As a responsible elected representative, I had to congratulate the maharaja on seeing him for his victory in the election,” it said.
