Rahul Gandhi repeats 'India is a Union of States' declaration
Throw away BJP to secure future of Manipur, urges former CM Ibobi
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 21 2022: Just 24 hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to touch down at Imphal, Gandhi scion of the Congress, Rahul Gandhi visited Imphal today and reached out to the people to vote for the oldest political party in the country.

Before addressing the people, Rahul Gandhi who touched down at Imphal Airport on a special flight, first proceeded to Shaheed Minar to pay his respects.

He then proceeded to Nupi Lan Memorial Complex where he again paid his respects and then headed for Hapta Kangjeibung where a sea of people had gathered to hear him speak.

Addressing the thousands who had gathered to hear him speak, Rahul Gandhi said that the time has come to uproot and throw away the BJP which thrives on spiting democratic institutions, erodes democratic values, challenges different cultural values and the religious beliefs of the minorities.

It is also time to throw away the party which thrives on false promises, added Gandhi.

Rahul Gandhi repeats 'India is a Union of States' declaration

Recalling his recent 'India is a Union of States' statement in Parliament, Rahul Gandhi said that this very statement was torn to pieces by the BJP and its frontal organisations.

It shows that they are against what is written in clear cut terms in the Constitution of India, he added.

India means a Union of States which in other word means that all States are equal and India is a Union of people, said Rahul Gandhi.

According to the BJP and its acolytes, their one Nation, one ideology, one language, one culture, one religion slogan means that all the slogans mean the ones which is backed by them, said the Congress leader.

This in effect means that the culture, ideology, language and religion espoused by the BJP is the only one which is acceptable.

To the Congress, the idea of India means the language of each State, its culture, history and religion are to be equally respected, he said and asked the people to weigh the cons and pros of the two line of thoughts and accordingly exercise their franchise rights.

Going on the offensive, Rahul Gandhi said that prior to the 2014 Lok Sabha election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised employment to two crore youths, Rs 15 lakh in the bank account of each Indian and doubling farmers' income.

The promise has remained just that, verbal promise, he added.

Instead of fulfilling the pre-poll promises, Narendra Modi demonetised currencies and introduced GST, which have spelt the death knell of the economy, he claimed.

Such policies dealt a crippling blow to MSME.

Rahul Gandhi also ridiculed the Talli Bajao and 'the switch on mobile torch light' exercise initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to fight COVID-19 .

On the scheduled visit of the Prime Minister to Manipur tomorrow (February 22), Rahul Gandhi said it will be nothing much more than an exercise in demonstrating their unfounded superiority complex to the people.

The Prime Minister will not admit that demonetisation and GST are meant for the benefits of the moneyed few.

Moreover he will not say anything on the ill conceived Farm Laws, he added.

On the proposed plan of the BJP Government to introduce Oil Palm plantation in the North East including Manipur, Rahul Gandhi asked the people to be wary of the project and added that this has been planned to profit some companies including Patanjali of Baba Ramdev.

The AICC leader further said that if the Congress comes to power after the election, it would promote the agriculture sector and fix a MSP to ensure healthy returns of the farmers.

Focus will be laid on promoting food processing and tourism.

On the BJP's slogan to empower women, Rahul Gandhi asked during whose time the present Ima Keithel was built.

The Congress leader also question why elections to the ADCs and ULBs have not been conducted till date.

A Govt which cannot conduct such elections has no reason to have the trust of the people, he added.

The Congress is committed to working for the welfare and development of Manipur with a long term vision, said Rahul Gandhi.

The AICC leader later left for New Delhi today after meeting State Congress leaders at Congress Bhavan.

CLP leader O Ibobi who also addressed the meeting said that the huge turn out at the public meeting is a testimony that the people are now fed up of the BJP rule after only five years and they want a change.

Mocking at the scheduled visit of the Prime Minister tomorrow, Ibobi asked how many times have Central leaders of the BJP come to Manipur.

For effect he reminded all that Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP National president JP Nadda have already come to the State ahead of the Assembly election.

But what have they done, he countered.

It is time to teach the communal BJP, which is under the impression that people can be swayed with money power a lesson, said the former Chief Minister and called out to the gathering to send the BJP packing.

If the BJP is allowed to continue then the future of Manipur will be doomed, he predicted.

Ibobi recalled that when former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh visited Manipur, he handed over Kangla to the people of Manipur and added that it was during his next visit that Manipur University was upgraded to a Central varsity.

If Modi is truly committed to the development of Manipur, let him announce the take over of DMU and JNIMS by the Centre, dared Ibobi.

The BJP is only inaugurating projects which were started during the rule of the Congress, said Ibobi and added the party is adept only at changing the names of programmes.

Manipur has been living this lie for the past 5 years, said the former Chief Minister and urged the people to uproot the BJP and save the future of the land and people.

AICC election observer (Manipur), Jairam Ramesh, Manipur-in-charge Bhakta Charan Das, CWC member Gaikhangam, MPCC president N Loken, Nagaland PCC president Kewekhape Therie and Congress MLAs were seated on the dais during the meeting.