Ajay Maken also accused the Manipur Assembly speaker of failing to take timely action. (File photo)

New Delhi:

The Congress accused the BJP on Thursday of murdering democracy in Manipur by its sinister efforts to remain in power.

Congress’s senior spokesperson Ajay Maken alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has violated every rule in the statute and used every unethical trick, including misuse of probe agencies, to remain in power in the northeastern state.

“Since the declaration of the election results for the 11th Manipur Legislative Assembly, there has been a sinister effort by the BJP to install their party in power.

“The BJP has violated every rule in statute, used every unethical trick in the game, and misused the premier investigative agency to retain power in Manipur. And in the entire process, they have murdered democracy,” he said in a statement.

‘BJP destroys Democracy in Manipur!’

Watch howhttps://t.co/UEXpuqQfDa via @YouTube

– Ajay Maken (@ajaymaken) June 25, 2020

Mr Maken pointed out that after the results of the 11th Assembly election were declared in Manipur, which threw up a fractured mandate with the Congress getting 28 seats, BJP 21, NPP four, NPF four, LJSP one, AITC one and one Independent, the grand old party was not invited by the governor to form the government.

Instead, the invitation was extended to the BJP, which cobbled up a post-election alliance with the remaining parties, he said.

The Congress leader said the recent political turmoil in the northeastern state came from the main ruling party itself, when three BJP MLAs resigned, along with four ministers of the National People’s Party (NPP).

This, he said, was mainly due to the “undemocratic” functioning of the BJP-led government, where all decisions were reportedly taken by Chief Minister N Biren Singh, without consulting ministers and MLAs.

Ajay Maken also accused the Manipur Assembly speaker of failing to take timely action on various petitions filed under the 10th Schedule of the Constitution.

He alleged that the speaker passed a series of orders in a pick-and-choose method, disqualifying three MLAs who supported the “no-confidence motion” moved by the Congress, while an anti-defection disqualification petition against three other legislators of the grand old party, who continued to support the BJP government, was dismissed.

The Congress leader alleged that the speaker, a day before the Rajya Sabha election, without even issuing notice to the lone All India Trinamool Congress (AITMC) MLA, disqualified him and deprived him of his right to cast vote.

In all, four MLAs who would have voted for the Congress candidate in the Rajya Sabha election were disqualified and four, who were supporting the BJP, were allowed to retain their seats in the Assembly, he said.