Congress leaders neglect Manipur, flay BJP leaders
PM or HM has time to visit Pak, elsewhere, but no time for Manipur: Sushma Swaraj
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, July 08 2010: Opposition leader in the Lok Shabha, Sushma Swaraj, along with other party leaders, arrived here today on a two day visit in the state.

Speaking at a meeting of the party workers held at GM Hall here, the firebrand BJP leader, Sushma Swaraj announced that the problems being faced by the people of Manipur at present like acute shortage of essential commodities and sky-rocketing prices of food and supplies will be tabled in both the Houses of Parliament in the coming sessions.

She said, the Congress leaders have remained silent, doing nothing when some Naga bodies blocked the highways�the lifeline of the people of the state for more than two months, and put the people in extreme miseries.

Opposition Leader Sushma Swaraj lighting lamp to inaugurate BJP workers' meeting at GM Hall, Imphal; other party leaders from Delhi and Imphal are seen looking on

The attitude of the Congress party show that its leaders neglected the people of Manipur, she said and asked why the Union Home Minister had no time to come here and meet people directly to address their problems when he had the time to go to Pakistan, which is the enemy of the country.

The BJP leader further said that in a country like India, where there is democracy, there is no place for violent acts.

The issue of Greater Nagaland which created tension in Manipur should be solved on the table and end it.

Creating tension will not bring any benefits to both sides.

"We have come here to assess the situation (of scarcity of essential commodities) so that we can table the same in both the Houses of Parliament in the coming session and draw attention of the Central government to the grievances the people of Manipur have, Sushma Swaraj said.

Deputy leader of Rajya Sabha, SS Ahluwalia, who is also part of the visiting team, addressed the meeting.

He said that the acute shortage of essential commodities and sky rocketing prices of essential commodities have been artificially created.

The governments at the Centre and the state should be held responsible for it.

It is the fundamental right of the people enshrined in the Indian Constitution to enjoy their rights to get food and supplies, he added.

MP of Rajya Sabha, Chandan Mitra said that they came here to discuss the problems being faced by the people directly and find a solution to relief from it.

Failure on part of the government to deal with the situation timely is behind the problems faced by the people of Manipur.

Extending solidarity to the demand of making NH-53 a lifeline of the state, Chandan Mitra said that the Centre as well as the state government should give emphasis to improving the highway as desired by the people.

Former MP from Arunachal Pradesh, Tapirgao strongly charged that wrong policy of the Congress led UPA government at the Centre and the SPF government in the state was behind the build up of disunity among the people of valley and hills areas.

Taking part in the meeting, BJP North East in-charge Chandra Sekhar Rao alleged that the Congress led SPF government is ruling the state under the control of the undergrounds.

The government is involved in corruption freely and taking up no welfare programme for the people.

Revealing that the Prime Minister and the Home Minister have not come to the state despite the people bearing the brunt of more than two month long blockade on the highways, he flayed the Congress for neglecting the people of the region.

State BJP leaders, president Sh Shantikumar, former president M Bhorot and Dr Hoabam Borbabu also talked in the meeting After the meeting, the touring leaders held a round of meeting with state leaders and discussed issues pertaining to the situation of the state.

The touring Central leaders of the BJP were accorded a warm reception by the party leaders of state unit of the party and workers on their arrival at the Imphal Airport at around 3 pm.

Before attending the party workers' meeting, the team met with the Governor at the Raj Bhavan.