Cong leaders are timid to admit their mistakes: BJP
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, April 28 2011: Tit for tat, the state unit of the BJP today said its leaders have enough courage to admit to any misconduct but Congress leaders have no such courage.

Instead of admitting the mistakes they have committed, Congress leaders always attempt to conceal them and prefer to blame others for their shortcomings, said BJP Manipur Pradesh general secretary L Basantakumar who is also the media advisor of the party.

Speaking to reporters, he recalled the "misleading" made-up statement given by the CM on the floor of the house of the state Assembly with regards to the July 23, 2009, BT road firing incident in which a former UG Ch Sanjit and a pregnant housewife Th Rabina were killed.

The involvement of police commandos in the firing was later exposed by the New Delhi based Tahelka Magazine with photographs of the incident.

CM Ibobi is yet to apologize to the people for his "wrong statement" in the House.

Supporting Basanta, BJP state spokesperson, Salam Ibohal said that the then NDA government under the leadership of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had apologized for the mistake committed to the people of Manipur by the Centre by agreeing to the extension of the ceasefire between the GoI and the NSCN-IM without territorial limit.

Though there was a widespread protest in the state, the declaration did not evoke strong protests from Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

Government interlocutor K Padmanabhaiya had signed the agreement with the NSCN-IM without proper consultation with the then Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, he recalled.

Ibohal said, Vajpayee had advised the then Home Minister LK Advani to withdraw the controversial word "without territorial limit" from the declaration and also admitted the mistake committed by his government.

Reacting to CM Ibobi's question on what had been done for the state of Manipur during the NDA rule, Ibohal pointed out that the Department of North East Region (DoNER) was set up during the NDA rule with the objective of developing the states in the Northeast region.

The Congress is reaping the fruits of policies and programmes which were initiated by the BJP led NDA government, he went on to claim.

The approval for improving infrastructure at the RIMS and development of a trans-Asia highway under the Look East Policy were also given during the NDA rule, he said recalling that the inclusion of Manipuri language in the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution was done during the same period.

The construction of BT Fly-over was also initiated during BJP rule, he said asking what new project or scheme had been implemented in the state by the UPA government.

When the people were at the limit of their woes at the time of the prolonged economic blockades, why did the Congress leaders at the Centre come in the state to address the grievances of the people, he went on to ask.

He further asked innocently which national political party had ever inducted a MP from Manipur in the council of ministers except during the BJP led NDA's government.

It is unfortunate that CM Ibobi has forgotten it, he added.

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