The solving of the ongoing 50 days plus crisis in Manipur University lies at the hands of the Centre. They can solve it anytime if they desires.
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This was stated by Former Chief Minister and Opposition Leader Okram Ibobi Singh while speaking to media in connection with various issues the State is presently confronting during a press conference at Congress Bhavan in Imphal on Tuesday.
The present Vice Chancellor can also be transferred to any good university such as Allahabad University etc in the country to resolve the issue, if the central authority is willing to take up welfare activities for the students’ community in the State, he added.
It may be mentioned that Manipur University is currently in crisis after Manipur University Students Union launched the shutdown on May 30 last demanding removal of the Vice Chancellor Prof Adya Prasad Pandey over 15 allegations of financial and administrative irregularities, including regular unofficial tours and violation of the university act.
The agitation which was initially supported by Manipur University Teachers Association and Manipur University Staffs Association also draws the attention of the various civil society organizations and general public.
Authorities at Manipur University were forced to defer this year’s post-graduate examinations after the indefinite shutdown by students.
Congress leader Ibobi also criticized the ruling BJP-led coalition government in the State for not giving the opportunity to share their views while discussing important key issues of the just concluded Monsoon Session of the State Assembly.
“If we are given the opportunity, the House could have discussed the key issues of the State including border pillar, framework agreement, Manipur University, Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 in public interest,” he said.
Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee president T N Haokip who was also present in the day’s press conference along with former Deputy Chief Minister and MLA Gaikhangam and other Congress MLAs, also claimed that the ruling front rejected the proposal to extend the sitting of the Assembly session for one or two days during the business advisory committee meeting while fixing date and timing for the Monsoon Session of the Assembly.
Congress Legislature Party leader Ibobi stated that the stand of the Congress Party in regard to the Framework Agreement signed between the Centre and NSCN (IM) on August 3, 2015 will remain unchanged.
He also expressed that the Assembly Session which came to an end on Monday, could have taken a resolution on Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 like the reaffirming of the resolution passed by the same House on December 22,2017 for amendment of Article 3 of the Constitution of India by incorporating that prior consent of the State Legislature of the affected state(s) shall be mandatory while forming new state, and alteration of areas, boundaries or names of existing states and also to request the Government of India to make the contents of the Framework Agreement available to the Government of Manipur.