Congress reacts sharply to Manipur CM's IMFL shop promise

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh Friday reacted sharply to Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh's promise to allow opening of shops selling IMFL in Manipur if BJP is returned to power in the coming state poll and demanded that it be withdrawn.

Imphal: Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh Friday reacted sharply to Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh's promise to allow opening of shops selling IMFL in Manipur if BJP is returned to power in the coming state poll and demanded that it be withdrawn. Ramesh, the Congress observer for the north east state going to the poll from February 28, said that Biren Singh should apologize to the women of the state, its social activists and social action groups, who are staunchly against selling of liquor, for his statement. The chief minister had said at a meeting in East Imphal district on Thursday that if BJP returns to power in the state it will allow IMFL shops in Manipur, which is officially a dry state.

Justifying his statement, he had said that some had died as a result of consuming poisonous country liquor and the BJP, if it is returned to power will allow the selling of IMFL from shops to "save" the people. Banned underground group Revolutionary People's Front had forced the closure of all foreign liquor shops from January 1, 1991. The state was declared a dry state after the passing of the Manipur Liquor Prohibition Act, 1991, but exemption was given to SCs and ST communities, who are mostly settled in the hill areas of the state, to brew country-made liquor.

In 2014 the then Congress government of O Ibobi Singh tried to lift the prohibition by passing a resolution in the Assembly but faced strong resistance from civil society groups, social activitists, women groups and militant outfits. The Select Committee of the Manipur Legislative Assembly had in August 2021 given its approval to The Manipur Liquor Prohibition Act, 1991 (2nd Amendment) and to allow the brewing of the high alcohol liquor for commercial export to other states.

The Biren Singh government had then said that after the enforcement of the amended Act the exchequer will earn about Rs 400 crore as tax. Ramesh expressed "deep shock and disgust at the timing, manner and the nature of the CM statement" which will cause "grave damage in the society". He said, "Less than 48 hours before campaigning for the first phase of Manipur election ends, outgoing chief minister N Biren Singh has made an extraordinary statement, which is an insult to the people and the mothers of the state and a recipe for raising revenue by killing people".

The first phase of Manipur Assembly election is slated for February 28 and the second and last one on March 5. He termed the chief minister's announcement on IMFL shops as "thoughtless and disastrous," He said there are more urgent priorities in Manipur like jobs for the youths, setting up of women's market for the mothers and farmers requirements.

The Congress leader said the promise was not in the BJP poll manifesto for Manipur. "The BJP-led government has been unable to stop the flow of drugs from Myanmar and on top of it, it will now open IMFL shops."

Keeping up his attack, Ramesh said Biren Singh "knows that he is losing and his government's exit is inevitable on 10th of March (date of counting of votes). That is the only reason I can think of why he made these extraordinary statements."

PTI