Congress leader K. Meghachandra questioned Manipur's Naga MLAs' meeting with Amit Shah alongside Nagaland leaders and sought clarification from Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh.
Imphal, June 27: Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader K. Meghachandra on Saturday questioned the participation of Manipur's Naga legislators in a recent meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah alongside senior leaders of the Nagaland government, asking whether the development reflected a lack of confidence in Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh.
Addressing a press conference at his official residence in Babupara, Imphal, Meghachandra said the June 25 meeting in New Delhi involving Manipur Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho, Naga People's Front (NPF) state president Awangbow Newmai, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and the Nagaland Deputy Chief Minister had raised important political questions that deserved a public explanation.
According to the Congress leader, the Chief Minister should clarify why legislators from Manipur attended a meeting with the Union Home Minister alongside leaders of another state without the participation of the Manipur Chief Minister himself.
"The people deserve to know why the Chief Minister of Manipur was not part of such a high-level meeting and why ministers and legislators from this state met the Union Home Minister together with the leadership of Nagaland," Meghachandra said.
He argued that the issue goes beyond a routine political engagement and touches upon the functioning of the state's constitutional and political institutions.
"Does this indicate that the Naga MLAs of Manipur have no confidence in the Chief Minister?" he asked.
The Congress leader said the meeting had generated widespread discussion because Manipur has its own elected government headed by its own Chief Minister. He maintained that meetings involving ministers and legislators of another state on issues concerning Manipur inevitably raise questions about the state's political processes and administrative structure.
Referring to the ongoing ethnic conflict, which has continued for more than three years, Meghachandra said every community in Manipur continues to suffer from insecurity and displacement. At such a time, he said, the separate engagement of Naga legislators with the Union Home Minister alongside leaders from Nagaland had prompted concerns among the public.
He further questioned what precedent such meetings could set if legislators belonging to different communities in Manipur were to independently pursue political engagements with leaders of other states based on ethnic affiliations.
"What is the harm in all the MLAs of Manipur working together within the existing constitutional framework of the state, respecting one another and protecting the state's governance system?" he asked.
Meghachandra also criticised the functioning of the present government, alleging that ministers have not been effectively administering the state despite the formation of the new government five months ago.
He claimed that some ministers continue to function largely from outside the state, participating in Cabinet meetings and Assembly proceedings through online platforms while summoning government officials to New Delhi for official work.
According to the Congress leader, such an arrangement cannot deliver effective governance or address the pressing challenges facing Manipur.
"There is little hope for development, administrative change or restoration of peace if ministers continue functioning in this manner," he said.
Meghachandra also referred to Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen, alleging that she has largely remained in New Delhi while serving in the government. He further claimed that development works under the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department, which she oversees, have reportedly been concentrated in Kangpokpi district, where she resides.
He said the veracity of these reports would become clear in due course but maintained that the government must ensure balanced development across all districts of the state.
The Congress leader observed that the present government has now completed five months in office, which he described as sufficient time to demonstrate its priorities and governance agenda.
However, he alleged that no major development initiatives or departmental programmes have been visible during this period.
"Five months is not a short period. Yet people have not witnessed significant developmental activities being undertaken by the government," he said.
Meghachandra questioned whether the Chief Minister and the remaining ministers were adequately addressing the state's administrative responsibilities and argued that continuing violence should not become a reason for suspending governance and development.
He also expressed disappointment over what he described as the government's inability to make tangible progress towards ending the prolonged ethnic conflict.
According to the Congress leader, the government has not presented a clear roadmap for restoring peace or rebuilding public confidence.
He pointed out that thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) continue to remain in relief camps with no publicly announced rehabilitation plan for their safe return to their original homes.
"The government has not shared any concrete plan for resettling displaced families or for bringing a lasting solution to the conflict," he said.
Meghachandra further alleged that the present administration was functioning in much the same manner as its predecessor despite expectations of a fresh approach following the formation of the new government.
Concluding his remarks, the CLP leader said the people of Manipur expected decisive leadership, transparent governance and a comprehensive peace strategy to address the prolonged crisis. In the absence of these measures, he said, public confidence in the government's ability to restore normalcy and development would continue to decline.
