Manipur Governor warns of 'serious consequences'

IMPHAL, February 7: Manipur Governor Ved Prakash Marwah today warned of 'serious consequences' if the state Assembly session was not reconvened immediately to discuss the pending no-confidence motion against the ruling United Legislative Front (ULF), Raj Bhawan sources said, reports PTI. Sources said the Governor wrote separate letters today to Chief Minister W Nipamacha Singh and Speaker S Dhananjoy that "the no confidence motion already admitted should be considered without any further delay." Earlier, the Governor had in separate letters asked the Speaker and the Chief Minister to sort out their differences and repair the damaged portions of the Assembly hall. Sources said the Governor expressed unhappiness for not discussing his two messages earlier sent to the House on January 12 and January 22 requiring the House to immediately resume its sittings and consider the motion of no confidence. Marwah also said it was against all democratic norms, well established parliamentary practices, rules of the Assembly and provisions of the Constitution to keep the duly admitted no confidence motion pending. In his letter to the Speaker, the Governor, according to the sources, said, "there is no justification for not reconvening the session as mentioned in your letter (of February 3). Disregard of the Governor's message (message to reconvene the session) would be an affront to democratic norms and parliamentary principles besides being unconstitutional." Marwah told the Speaker that not doing so (not regarding the message) was clear violation of the Constitution. Sources said Governor in his letter to Speaker said, "I shall urge you once again to discharge your constitutional obligations and not render yourself open to the charge of violating the Constitution and gagging the House itself, and resume the sitting of the House at once, irrespective of the difficulties mentioned by you." In his letter to the Chief Minister, Governor said under Article 175 (2) consideration of Governor's message to the House is mandatory, sources said adding that Marwah expressed concern for not taking 'any action in this regard on one pretext or the other.'