Ibobi likens Biren administration to dictatorship
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, December 28 2022:
Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MP.CC) celebrated the 138th Foundation Day of Indian National Congress at Congress Bhawan, BT road, here, on Wednesday.
Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Okram Ibobi Singh, who attended the celebration function, said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is powerless now but the present Prime Minister Modi has made it a habit to criticise party leaders particularly Rahul Gandhi and his family.
Ibobi also slammed chief minister N Biren over his recent statement that former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru divided the hills and valleys of Manipur only for administrative convenience without considering its effect on Manipur.
Reacting to the remarks of Biren, Ibobi said the incumbent CM is like a dictator.
"The Congress will not exchange words with the BJP on useless matters.
But if the BJP persistently criticised the Congress, our party will not remain a silent spectator.
Befitting replies will be given at an appropriate forum," Ibobi said.
Ibobi further said that countries across the world have firm belief that Congress party would never go extinct in view of its role in attaining India's independence and they have firm belief that the grand old party will regain power one day.
According to O Ibobi, Congress had ruled the country for three consecutive terms in the recent past and BJP too is on its third consecutive term.
However, it is the people who are to decide the better administration between the past Con gress rule and the present BJP regime.
The media is considered as the fourth pillar of democracy after judiciary and the country's top judiciary the Supreme Court has now started to criticise PM Modi's administration.
He also alleged that the NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which is approaching the end of its second term, is interfering with the media, judiciary and freedom of the press.
"What will be the fate of democracy in India, the largest democratic coun try in the world if this continues," he asked and said, "We should preserve the democratic right of the country".
Okram Ibobi further said that he never felt regret when the media criticised him during the 15 years of Congress rule and took the criticism as an opportunity to rectify mistakes though there must be a limit.
However, the present BJP government summons anyone who makes constructive criticism to police station and sends them to jail unlike in the Congress regime, he said, adding that political experts fear of changing democratic set up in the country to dictatorship if BJP happens to rule the country any longer.
Even the global superpower America (United States) believes in Congress ideology and there is a big reason for America considering India as its permanent friendly country, Ibobi said, adding that many US presidents had disclosed this at major global forums and they clearly understand the role played by Congress party in India's independence.
He also said that BJP could form government in many states of the North East as power hungry elected leaders joined the party and these politicians will skip the saffron party and shift to another party once BJP is powerless.
MPCC president K Meghachandra, who also attended the function, said that the present democratic and secular India was developed with the sheer sacrifice and dedication of Congress leaders and this must be remembered by every citizen of the country.
It was the Congress government that gifted MGNREGS to people of the country as also subsidised food grains under Food Security Act and people are yet to forget these gifts.
Asking if the present BJP government in the state had translated any of the promises made in 2017 into action, the MPCC president said that the BJP government is unable to act even after pin pointing out mistakes and is unable to give answer to a single question raised by Congress party.
While stressing the need for strengthening the Congress party in the state, Meghachandra said that MPCC will launch Haath Se Haath Jodo Abhiyan as per the advice of AICC leaders from January 26, 2023 and the programme will be conducted for two months.
He then appealed to PCC members to meet people at the locality level and make the programme successful.
The 138th Foundation Day of Congress party was also attended by AICC member Gaikhangam, former MPCC president TN Haokip, former minister M Okendro and party leaders and workers.
Churachandpur District Congress Committee (DCC-I) also celebrated the 138th foundation day of Indian National Congress (INC) at Tribal Museum campus.
In his speech, T Chongbiak, DCC I president, said that the district Congress party has been revitalized and it is now set ready to take on any issues pertaining to the district.
During the event, the gathering also ob served a moment to pay obeisance to the founder leaders of the INC followed by speeches from leaders on the principles of secularism which the party stands for.