Manipur Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Okram Ibobi Singh on Tuesday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks against the Congress party in his poll rally speech in Imphal and asked whether the BJP government bargained with the militant groups over bandh and blockade issue for the last five years.
Modi alleged in his speech during his rally for the BJP in Manipur on Tuesday that the Congress party made bandhs and blockades the main feature of Manipur. He also claimed that the BJP government made the impossible possible by lifting the bandh call within 48 hours. "Every region of Manipur has been relieved from bandhs and blockades," Modi said.
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Strongly rebutting Modi’s allegations and claims, Ibobi said, “We should ask Modi what he meant by saying bandhs and blockades have been lifted from every region of Manipur by the BJP government for the last many years… whether the BJP government bargained with militant groups for bandh and blockade for the last five years… is the BJP government together with anti-social and anti-national people?”
The state CLP leader was speaking at the reception programme of Paokholal Haokip of Saikot AC, who joined the INC, supporting TN Haokip, who is the Congress candidate of Saikot AC on Tuesday, after resigning as BJP candidate of Saikot AC.
Welcoming Paokholal Haokip to the INC fold, Ibobi said: “The Congress is gaining support of the public while it is seen that the people are rejecting the BJP”.
Comparing the poll rally of PM Modi to that INC leader Rahul Gandhi in Imphal, Ibobi said the gathering of people at Modi’s poll rally at the Luwangshangbam Cricket Stadium was half of Rahul Gandhi’s rally at Hatta Kangjeibung, which witnessed an unprecedented gathering of people and support for the Congress.
“What happened to the double-engine Modi-led government, where is fast development?” asked Ibobi, claiming that almost all development projects or works were started by his Congress government with only inauguration left. The metering of power and infrastructure development was created in Congress time, he said.
The former chief minister said Modi’s poll campaign in Manipur failed to focus on issues and problems of Manipur such as unemployment issue and high price of fuel and essential items among others. He also said that the Look East policy of the Congress government was changed to Act East policy by the BJP government. He hoped the change would bring many developments, but where is development, he asked.
Ibobi also mentioned that the railway project in the state was started in 2014 by the Congress government; and 70-80 per cent of the railway works was completed during the Congress rule. It is a national project and there should not be any shortage of funds, he added.
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Also, questioning why the BJP government failed to conduct the Autonomous District Councils election in the hills, Ibobi said the BJP government has “murdered” India’s democracy.
The projects, schemes which have been started by the Congress government in 15 years have been changed and the public cheated by the BJP government, Ibobi said, citing the case of Imphal Town Area Water Plant which was started under the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Nation scheme changed into Jal Jeevan Mission.
The BJP government put the people of Manipur for five years in darkness, he said, adding that the Congress will return with full support from the public.
Meanwhile, Manipur Congress in-charge Bhakta Charan Das said that Modi blaming the Congress for bandhs and blockades is totally irrelevant. Modi’s election rally failed to mention issues facing the people of the state and the size of the gathering at the rally shows that the public do not want the BJP, he said.
Also pointing out that the use of BJP party flags and hoarding posted and hosted in electric poles for PM Modi’s visit is in violation of ECI guidelines, he appealed to the CEO Manipur to take action against the BJP for violating the guidelines and model code of conduct.
