The battle is between BJP and people: Cong
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 05 2019:
The 17th Lok Sabha election is a battle between people and BJP and obviously people will emerge victorious, asserted MPCC president and Congress Working Committee (CWC) Member Gaikhangam.
Speaking to a few media persons at his Babupara quarters today, Gaikhangam said that the BJP-led NDA Government has been committing all kinds of excesses which were unheard of even during the British colonial period.
The situation is so bad that a group of people have been dictating the entire population which religion they must follow, which dress they must wear and what type of food they must eat, Gaikhangam remarked.
He said that dress codes have been already enforced in some States ruled by BJP.
Such interference into fundamental rights of citizens is the height of authoritarianism.
When the Government does not protect the Constitution and the law of the land, it unmistakably signals a very grim future.
As such, the Lok Sabha election is a very crucial one.
It's an election to save Manipur and India, he asserted.
It was the Indian National Congress and the people's sustained struggle which freed the country from colonial yoke.
Independent India is developing fast and it is on the verge of achieving the status of a global superpower.
India's growing power was demonstrated to the whole world when India conducted its first nuclear test during the time of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, said the Congress leader.
Asking which Government put Manipur on a trajectory of meaningful development, Gaikhangam asserted that it would be hard to elucidate all the works done during the 15 years of Congress rule led by Chief Minister Okram Ibobi.
Through the development works taken up during the time of Chief Minister O Ibobi remarkable changes were seen in both the hills and valley of the State, claimed the ex-Deputy Chief Minister.
All the development works which were carried out in full speed during the Congress rule lost all its momentum soon after the BJP-led coalition Government was sworn in.
They have been making all kinds of tall claims without doing anything on ground, he said.
For all these reasons, people have started realising that the only reliable political party when the situation grows critical is Congress, he claimed.
BJP has made it clear that they would bring back CAB 2016 if it returns to power.
BJP is determined to pass the Bill which will have disastrous impact on the entire North East region, claimed Gaikhangam.
Given these facts, casting votes in favour of BJP implies CAB 2016 is acceptable, Gaikhangam pointed out.
To a query on BJP's demand for a white paper on the works done by the two Congress MPs during the last 10 years, Gaikhangam argued that a white paper is basically about presenting something in concrete shape which is not visible but many works done by the two MPs are visible to the people of the State.
BJP has been insisting to point out what they have not done but there is nothing to point out as they have done nothing at all, he said.
Claiming that there are many projects/works which testify the previous Congress Government's performance, Gaikhangam asked BJP to point out their achievements.
To another query about Chief Minister N Biren's claim that he was the one who first demanded change of regime when Chief Minister O Ibobi was ruling the State for three consecutive terms, the ex-Deputy Chief Minister said that Biren once said, "Our Chief Minister Tamo Ibobi is like an incarnation of god.
He (Ibobi) deserves to be venerated like a God by sculpturing a golden idol" .