Cong questions AMUCO's stand
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 18 2023: The Congress party has accused the All Manipur United Clubs' Organisation (AMUCO) of acting like the mouthpiece of the BJP led Government.

Speaking to the media at Congress Bhavan today, Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president K Meghachadra contended that AMUCO serving a deadline to the party to clarify a certain statement given by Rahul Gandhi on the Manipur issue by twisting the words of the Congress leader was unfortunate.

He also said that AMUCO serving a deadline to the Congress party for the matter is not acceptable and unexpected from the apex body of local clubs.

Claiming that AMUCO has misquoted the statement of Rahul Gandhi, he added that a revered organisation like AMUCO acting like the mouthpiece of the Government is unfortunate.

Advising the AMUCO to stay as a people centric organisation, Meghachandra said that AMUCO levelling serious charges against the Congress party by picking only two lines from the speech of Rahul Gandhi would be very wrong.

What Rahul Gandhi said was that BJP is scheming to divide Manipur into two by letting the violence to persist, Meghachandra said and added that it would have been better had the AMUCO responded after understanding the concept behind Rahul Gandhi's remark first.

He maintained that the accusation of AMUCO has portrayed the Congress party in a bad light.

Saying that the fate of the Congress party, however, cannot be decided by an organisation like AMUCO, he asked if AMUCO had served any ultimatum to the BJP when the Ministers and MLAs of the ruling party openly demanded disintegration of Manipur.

The ongoing violence and the incident of June 18, 2001 took place under the regime of the BJP, he said and claimed that there is a threat to the unity and integrity of Manipur whenever BJP is at the helm.

He went on to claim that the Congress party only promotes unity and peaceful coexistence among the communities unlike the BJP.

Meghachandra said that the BJP depicting the peace mission of Rahul Gandhi to Manipur amid the violence as a political campaign was unfortunate.

Claiming that Rahul Gandhi never said anything to gain political mileage during his stay in the State other than meeting the displaced people at relief camps, the MPCC chief reiterated that the visit of Rahul Gandhi was to restore peace.

He then asked the BJP to stop blaming the Congress for their failure.

Asking what political mileage can the Congress party take from the situation with just five MLAs, Meghachandra urged the Government to focus on dousing the flame and restoring normalcy first.

Can the functionaries of AMUCO and BJP can go beyond Sekmai, Pallel, Moirang, Keithelmanbi etc before pointing finger at the Congress party all the time, Meghachandra dared and asked AMUCO and BJP to understand the gravity of the situation in Manipur.

Maintaining that a collective effort is needed to restore normalcy in Manipur, he urged the Government to understand the sentiments of the people and work on it instead of engaging in petty politics during this difficult juncture.

The MPCC said that the Congress can solve the issue of poppy plantations in two years if the party is in power, he claimed.

Other functionaries of MPCC also attended the press briefing.

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