One day political conference of Kapu held ; Don't politicise sports : CM to BJP
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, November 13 2016: Pointing out that Manipur is known across the world for excellence in sports and the rich legacy of art and culture, Chief Minister O Ibobi has advised BJP not to ever politicise the two sectors.

He was speaking at a one-day political conference held at Ibudhou Marjing premises, Heingang under the aegis of Sawombung District Congress Committee.

The BJP Government at the Centre has been engaging in all kinds of activities which are unexpected, and such unexpected activity is politicisation of sports and art and culture, Ibobi stated.

After the BJP Government announced its decision to set up a National Sports University (NSU) in Manipur in 2014, a team of experts came to Manipur and inspected different sites for the university.

One day political conference of Kapu held

The team selected three places namely Yaithibi Loukon, Laiching and Usoipokpi-Chaobok in order of preference as probable sites for NSU.

But Union YAS Minister Vijay Goel recently remarked that Yaithibi Loukon selected by the expert team as their first choice was low-lying and not suitable for NSU.

The State Government was never saying that NSU should not be constructed at any place other than in Thoubal district.

Even as the State Government proposed commencement of NSU session at Khuman Lampak Sports complex temporarily until a proper campus was developed, the Central Government rejected the same proposal, Ibobi stated.

He then questioned the real motive behind the frequent visits of a number of Union Ministers to the State.

Expressing strong reservation against engaging in political activities on official visits, Ibobi made a point to this effect during the foundation stone laying ceremony of Tupul Railway Station held yesterday at 1st MR complex.

After Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh of the UPA Government laid the foundation stone of the Jiribam-Tupul railway project in 2004, foundation stone was laid for railway station at Imphal sometime back this year and yesterday's foundation stone laying ceremony could have been clubbed together with the previous one.

Stating that Jiribam-Imphal railway line would have 34 tunnels, Ibobi asked whether Union Ministers would come to the State to lay foundation stones of each and every tunnel.

It looked like the BJP Government would take up a lot of activities when it renamed Look East Policy as Act East Policy but nothing has changed on the ground.

With the exception of Congress party which faithfully practices secularism, other parties like BJP would never suit the soil of Manipur, Ibobi asserted.

The history of Congress is almost synonymous with the history of India.

BJP should give up its malicious intention to hoodwink the people of Manipur.

Ibobi then exuded confidence that the people of Heingang AC will elect the Congress candidate this time too as done in the previous elections.

MPCC president TN Haokip, Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam, Agriculture Minister Abdul Nasir, MLAs Y Surchandra, Dr Ng Bijoy, T Mangibabu and PCC member Naoroibam Ratan (Kapu) were also present at the political conference.

Gaikhangam remarked that too many Union Ministers have been visiting Manipur too frequently as if they were on pleasure trips.

It looked like they were looking for opportunities to lay foundation stones.

If foundation stones should be laid for every pillar of a house, the State Government would not have time to work for the State.

BJP Central leaders might have been better but the party has become a party of defectors in Manipur.

One would like to question if the Central Government has taken up any new project in Manipur during the past two years and a half.

The BJP Government was only re-naming existing projects/schemes, Gaikhangam asserted.

People gathered at the conference was a clear indicator that the Congress candidate would win Heingang seat, he added.