BJP gives it back to CM
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 27 2016: BJP Manipur Pradesh vice-president M Asnikumar has hit back at Chief Minister Okram Ibobi for his remarks on the National Sports University.

In a statement, he said that the Ibobi-led Congress Government has two extraordinary qualities � one is the removal of speed-breakers in speaking lies and the second is the display of bossism.

Ibobi has lived up to these two qualities while launching the State-level campaign for the women's wing of his party, he said.

Given the nature of the gathering, he had to speak something as if he is a very capable leader.

While doing so, he did not even have the courtesy of appreciating the recognition of the sports talent of Manipur by the Centre in the very first budget of the Narendra Modi-led Government.

Asnikumar said that the Chief Minister did not even acknowledge the fact of sanctioning Rs 100 crore in right earnest for the establishment of a Sports University in Manipur.

He did not however admit the fact that his narrowmindedness had spoiled the spirit of this initiative, the BJP vice-president said.

Ibobi could think only of his own constituency and his own district as for him Thoubal is first and the last, he alleged.

This has made him blind to the many realities of Manipur, Asnikumar said and added that he could not see that the Sports Department of Manipur already had quite many stretches of land in possession, like in Moirang area (40 acres at Takmu Maning area).

The Chief Minister has also forgotten that there are many foothills in Manipur where the Sports University could be established while at the same time honouring the principles of sustainability and social stability, Asnikumar said.

Further, to him any norm can be violated when it comes to serving his personal interests, Asnikumar said and added that the rule is that agricultural land should be preserved as much as possible.

Still further, all the other more suitable public offers of land like at Koutruk, Imphal West had to be ignored as they did not serve his personal and political interests, Asnikumar alleged.

Now what is the status of the plot of land at Yaithabi Loukol in Thoubal Dist, he claimed as it had been acquired and made available to the Centre for starting the Sports University.

The first fact is that it is in a place where his personal and political interests hold strong.

Second, a large part of the land is a low-lying marshy land which can be made suitable for sports only at huge costs, he said.

Third, an equally large portion is an agricultural land which needs protection in the context of fast declining size of agricultural land in Manipur, Asnikumar said.

Fourth, these agricultural land mainly belong to the marginal farmers.

Fifth, while serving his personal interests he has antagonised the minorities settled in the area, he said.

Now on top of these there have been violent protests including burning of police vehicle against the acquisition of the land for the Sports University by the local farmers of the area.

It is in the context of these realities that Ibobi spoke a tremendous lie before the women members of his party, he said.

Ibobi must know that the Central Government is for serving the interests of the common people and not for subservience to his personal interests.

The people of Manipur have already understood Ibobi's art of lying, alleged Asnikumar.

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