Cong will safeguard integrity of Manipur : Rahul
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 28 2017: All India Congress Committee (AICC) vice president Rahul Gandhi has categorically stated that Congress party will always safeguard the integrity of Manipur and her territorial integrity.

He was speaking at an election rally held at Hapta Kangjeibung today in connection with the ensuing 11th Manipur Legislative Assembly election.

He asserted that Congress would never compromise on the integrity of Manipur and her territorial boundary under any circumstances.

After a Framework Agreement was signed between the Government of India and NSCN-IM on August 3, 2015 without informing anyone, Prime Minister Narendra Modi informed AICC president Sonia Gandhi on telephone that a historic agreement had been signed.

As advised by the party president, Chief Minister O Ibobi was enquired about the agreement but it turned out that he had no idea.

Cong will safeguard integrity of Manipur : Rahul

Many Union Ministers of the Modi Government were also enquired about the agreement but they too were ignorant about the historic agreement.

The way how the Framework Agreement was signed in total secrecy was rather surprising, Rahul Gandhi remarked.

Talking about demonetisation, the AICC vice-president stated that the same move landed a large number of peasants, workers and the underprivileged sections in extreme misery.

The Modi Government could not do anything to rich and powerful people who have been accumulating black money in Swiss Bank, real estate and gold businesses.

Narendra Modi could not even set his eyes on those rich people, he said.

Even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi was shouting that the black money collected through demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes would be deposited in bank accounts of poor people and several employment generation schemes would be initiated, the Prime Minister could not translate his assurance into action.

Enough evidence and documents were seized about giving crores of rupees to Narendra Modi when Income Tax teams raided private companies in 2014, alleged Rahul Gandhi.

Accusing Ibobi Government of indulging in rampant corruption without giving any evidence while concealing all the evidence about transfer of crores of rupees to Narendra Modi is rather ridiculous, Rahul Gandhi remarked.

Moreover, Narendra Modi was unable to develop Imphal-Jiribam highway into a proper National highway even though the same work was included in the list of works he promised to accomplish within 100 days of assuming the Prime Minister's office.

In the same manner, the Prime Minister is still unable to set up a National Sports University in Manipur even though the Chief Minister has allotted necessary land at two places.

Given all these realities, people of Manipur need not trust Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders, he asserted.

BJP which works according to decisions adopted by RSS at Nagpur has been continuously sowing seeds of distrust and animosity among different communities of the country.

In Manipur too, BJP has been scheming to obliterate and destroy the history, language and identity of Manipuri people but Congress would never allow BJP's nefarious design to succeed, Rahul Gandhi promised.

He then called upon the people of Manipur to ask Narendra Modi if he has done anything for Manipur in case he ever visits Imphal again.

The Prime Minister should also be asked why the Framework Agreement was signed without consulting the Chief Minister and the people of Manipur, he continued.

Congress party would definitely retain power and the Congress Government would fulfil the promises it made to the people of Manipur, Rahul Gandhi asserted.

Chief Minister O Ibobi, Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam, AICC general secretary Dr CP Joshi, MPCC president TN Haokip, MPs Dr T Meinya, Thangso Baite, Ministers, MLAs and many Congress candidates were also present at the election rally.

Chief Minister O Ibobi asked Central Government and BJP leaders to upload the contents of the Framework Agreement on the internet if they are honest enough.

"Even though both the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister say that the Framework Agreement would not affect Manipur, we would like to question the reason behind keeping the Framework Agreement totally inaccessible", Ibobi asserted.

It was during Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's period that Manipur was literally put on flames in 2001 and 18 people lost their lives because the words 'without territorial limit' were inserted in the cease fire agreement signed between the Government of India and NSCN-IM.

Now, the Framework Agreement has created a restive situation in Manipur.

As such, people need to be wary of BJP, Ibobi cautioned.

Reacting to the Prime Minister's declaration that they would get the blockade lifted if BJP comes to power, Ibobi asked whether the ongoing economic blockade is a collaborative effort of NSCN-IM, UNC and BJP.

He also mentioned about several development programmes implemented in Manipur during UPA-I and UPA-II Governments.

Urging the Central Government to demonstrate project(s) it sanctioned for Manipur during the past two years and a half, Ibobi appealed to the Prime Minister to replace his 'Maan Ki Baat' programme with 'Maan Ki Kaam' .

It is a misplaced notion if BJP is thinking about winning the Manipur election by deceiving the masses like they did in the 2014 Lok Sabha election held across the country, he added.