Congress raised several questions as a sharp reaction to the recent remarks made by BJP MLA L Rameshwar who had reportedly stated that the menace of drugs in the state cannot be curbed without the sincere efforts of ministers, MLAs and police officers.
TFM Report
Reacting to the recent remark by BJP MLA L Rameshwar who reportedly stated that the menace of drugs in the state cannot be curbed without the sincere efforts of ministers, MLAs and police officers, the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) now demands the government to disclose those leaders and officers who are not sincere in the fight against drugs.
Addressing the media at the Congress Bhawan, BT Road, Imphal, MPCC spokesperson Ningombam Bupenda Meitei applauded the BJP MLA’s “sincere revelations of the truth about the ongoing failure of the war against drugs by the unnamed BJP led coalition government in Manipur” and said that it needed to be seriously looked into.
Maintaining that no sitting Congress MLAs are involved and no former Congress ministers were involved in any drugs related crime, the Congress spokesperson asked, “Who are the ministers, MLAs and police officers who are involved in drugs related crimes?”
Accusing the state BJP led government of following a “discriminatory policy of cherry picking” for appeals against drugs related crime cases, Bupenda said that the government was appealing to the High Court in some cases which were already adjudicated by lower courts, while not going for appeal in the high profile drugs crime cases in the High Court.
“Why is BJP government neither going for appeal against the acquittal of Zou case by NDPS Special Court to High Court nor transferring related drugs crime cases to CBI so far?”
Although the BJP led coalition government in Manipur has held events related to completion of 4 years as “citizen-centric governance”, the drugs menace and crimes have been destroying the future of our people and youths, both in hills and valleys of the state, he asserted.
“Is it citizen-centric governance when the BJP government has not transferred a single case of drug related crime to CBI in the last 4 years?”
Stating that in previous Congress governments, to allay public doubt the then Cabinet recommended to transfer the drugs case involving the then chief minister’s relative to CBI, Bupenda questioned why the BJP government is not transferring all drugs crime cases to CBI or NIA, in case of drugs terror crimes, in order to dispel the doubts of the people.
The Congress spokesperson demanded the BJP government to transfer all drugs related crime cases to CBI and go for appeals against all acquittal drugs cases by the lower courts to the higher court as soon as possible in a specific time frame, to “save the future of the youths of hills and valley, and the existential future of the people of Manipur.”
Bupenda also maintained that the government’s tall claim of “citizen centric government” and “war on drugs” will be exposed as hypocrisy of the government if it fails to reveal the leaders involved in drug cases, transfer high profile cases to CBI and appeal to a higher court on judgement acquitting the main accused.
Co-opted PCC member Keisam Ningthemjao Singh and PCC member Lamtinthang Haokip were also present during the media briefing.