'Anything' can happen when there is BJP Govt: Ibobi
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, December 18 2017: Ex-Chief Minister and CLP leader O Ibobi has stated that 'something' always happen when there is/was BJP Government at the Centre .

He was speaking at a protest demonstration held near Wangjing Kodompokpi stadium today under the aegis of the Wangjing Block Congress Committee demanding disclosure of the contents of the Framework Agreement signed between the Government of India and NSCN-IM on August 3, 2015 .

Every body is highly suspicious of the Framework Agreement as it is still kept a closely guarded secret even after two years since it was signed, he said .

Punjab Accord, Mizo Accord and Assam Accord were signed when there was Congress Government at the Centre but there was no outcry as all these agreements were signed with full knowledge of the public, Ibobi stated .

But the contents of the Framework Agreement are not known to anybody except Prime Minister Narendra Modi, NSCN-IM general secretary Th Muivah and interlocutor RN Ravi.

Even Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has no knowledge of the contents .

That is why Congress party has been demanding disclosure of the contents, said the ex-Chief Minister .

It is rather unfortunate that BJP termed the Congress party's campaign on Framework Agreement as a gimmick aimed at scoring political mileage .

But Congress party would like to ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister N Biren to reap all the political dividends by disclosing the contents of the Framework Agreement, added O Ibobi .

One issue or another always shakes the State every time there is BJP Government at the Centre.

Manipur was literally put on flames in 2001 when the then NDA Government led by BJP inserted the words 'without territorial limits' in the cease fire pact with the NSCN (IM).

This time, the incumbent NDA Government has pushed the people of Manipur to a very tensed and anxious state by keeping the details of the Framework Agreement a closely guarded secret, Ibobi stated .

If the agreement contains anything about granting financial, cultural and/or administrative autonomy to the Nagas, it can be assumed that the seeds of disintegration of Manipur have been sown .

Even if the agreement does not affect the territorial integrity at the moment, no one would be able to raise any objection when hill areas demand separation from Manipur in future in case any form of autonomy is granted now, Ibobi warned .

Congress party does not say it would stay away from the memorandum drafting committing under any circumstances.

The party has been asking BJP and the NPF whether the latter have appended their signatures on the memorandum and whether NPF delegates would be there among the all party delegation who would submit the memorandum to the Prime Minister.

But neither BJP nor NPF has made any reply, Ibobi clarified .

Congress knows that it is not within the State Government's capacity to disclose the contents of the Framework Agreement but there are BJP Governments both in the State and at the Centre.

As such, the Chief Minister and the BJP leaders of the State can certainly ask the Prime Minister to make the contents of the Framework Agreement public and BJP may take full credit for this, added the ex-Chief Minister .

Ex-Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam reiterated that BJP is always anathema to Manipur just as the Congress party has been pointing out since the Lok Sabha election of 2014 .

BJP leaders are whimsical by nature as testified by the sudden demonetisation which was followed by the introduction of GST.

All these moves bred untold misery to millions of people across the country .

By signing a Framework Agreement with NSCN-IM in a night without consulting anyone, the Government of India created a restive situation in Manipur, he remarked .

For years, NSCN-IM has been shouting that the hill areas have been discriminated and neglected.

In the same vein, Chief Minister N Biren has been alleging that the past Governments did not treat the hills and the valley uniformly and these are the root causes of all problems.

Thus the Chief Minister has been indirectly supporting NSCN-IM and their objective of separation, Gaikhangam asserted .

If the past Governments committed follies, then N Biren is definitely one among the wrongdoers, he said .

He then dared Chief Minister N Biren to point out the follies committed by the previous Government.

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