The Manipur government on Monday denied Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh's reported statement to a state BJP delegation that the state government had not sought any appointment with him on the three bills awaiting presidential assent.
Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam told reporters here that the Okram Ibobi Singh government had written letters through proper channels for proposed meetings with President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
"The chief minister even wrote personal letters to seek appointments," the minister said.
Ibobi has since maintained that there has been no response from the Centre so far to the requests for meetings on the three anti-migrants bills pending presidential assent since September last year but which have already been passed by the Manipur assembly.
Gaikhangam also took exception to the BJP leaders going alone for a meeting with the central leadership on the issue.
He said that an all-party delegation from Manipur was already in Delhi even as no assent for the meetings was forthcoming.
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"The state BJP is a part of the delegation. It is both surprising and unwarranted that a BJP team met the Union Home Minister and Minister of State for Home Kiran Rijiju on the three bills.
"Let the BJP take full credit. But it would have been decent on the Manipur BJP's part to have invited other members of the delegation too. The BJP action shows the disunity among the political parties in Manipur," the deputy chief minister said.
Gaikhangam said he will join the delegation members camping in Delhi since Friday.
--IANS
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