Imphal, July 14: Sharply reacting to the purported statement of Outer Manipur Parliamentary Constituency MP, Mani Charenamei that the SPF Government is communal and represents the interest of only one community, convenor of the SPF Legislature Party, Dr M Nara, said that the MP should not forget that he represents Manipur in the Lok Sabha.

As widely reported in the State dailies, in an intimation to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on July 12, the MP had accused the SPF Government of being communal and working for the interest of only the valley people.

In a statement issued to the press today, Dr Nara said that the decision of the State Government to declare June 18 as a State holiday was not taken against the interest of any community.

This is a fact known to all, he added.

Going back to the genesis of the June 18, 2001 uprising, Dr Nara said that the people came out on the street to protest the decision of the Government of India to extend the ceasefire between it and the NSCN (IM) to the soil of Manipur.

The people's protest was to safeguard the territory of Manipur and it was to honour the memory of the people killed on that day, that the SPF Government decided to declare June 18 as a State holiday.

There was nothing communal about it added, Dr Nara.

The Government is open to the idea of discussing the issue with people of all communities.

Reminding Mani that he is representing Manipur at the Lok Sabha, Dr Nara said that it is highly unbecoming of an MP of the State to say things which are detrimental to the interest of the State.

Charenamei was voted to the Parliament with the votes of the people of Manipur and not only on the votes of any specified community, asserted the statement.

The statement further said that the accusation of the MP that the SPF Government is communal on the basis of declaring June 18 as State holiday is without basis.

Such a statement is an insult to the people and the State, added Dr Nara.