BJP abetted crisis, renegade MLAs proof: Congress
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, September 19 2023:
In a sharp response to a recent statement directed to the Congress party issued by BJP Manipur Pradesh spokesperson Johnson Elangbam, Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) vice-president L Tilotama has categorically stated that BJP abetted the current crisis in the state and it is also its MLAs, who raised the separate administration demand.
Addressing a press meet at the Singjamei Thongam Leikai residence of advocate Ningombam RK Sumitra on Tuesday, Tilotama said that the separate administration demand was first raised by 10 MLAs including two BJP ministers.
There is no involvement of Congress in the ongoing crisis and it is rather unethical of the BJP to point the finger to the Congress party, she said.
Quoting a statement of union minister of state Dr RK Ranjan, who said that law and order in the state has totally failed, the Congress leader said that the double engine government of the BJP has derailed and it needs realignment.
Tilotama further said that Congress party offered its active involvement in the War on Drugs mission.
However, the BJP government drew flaks from the public over the acquittal of a drug kingpin.
As such, Congress is not sure in which direction the government was taking its War on Drugs mission.
On the other hand, the Congress party welcomes the BJP's appear not to politicise the crisis situation but they should know that Congress party never tried to draw political mileage out of it.
The whole situation could have taken a different direction if the Congress had polarised the society vis-a-vis the restive situation, she said, while urging the ruling party to exercise some restraints in issuing statement in such critical stage.
Refuting the allegation of Congress politicising the issue, she said that the visit of Rahul Gandhi was a humanitarian trip to meet the displaced people and understand their grievances.
However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has never set foot in Manipur since the violence broke out.
The BJP leaders visiting the state did nothing as if they were on a recreation tour, she alleged, while recalling the tall promise made by union home minister Amit Shah to restore peace within 15 days during his visit in May.
For the Congress party, the stand is to never compromise even an inch of Manipur's territory and the stand remains intact.
Unfortunately, from the way the BJP government is handling the issue, it seems there is no solution or roadmap to solution in sight.
There is complete lawlessness in the hills while law is enforced in some areas of the small valley.
Even though the CM made clarion call to defend the state's territorial integrity, the government neither empowers-the state force nor deploys the central security forces strategically.
As a result, the common people are coming out to defend their villages and yet the government is arresting them as if they are criminals, which is why people are calling the 48-hour general strike, she reasoned, while demanding unconditional release of the arrested village volunteers.
The present crisis is a result of the ineffective administration of the government and it has cost tens of thousands of people their near and dear ones, their homes and properties, she pointed out.
Tilotama also asked the government to stop wasting its time in finding trivial matters to point fingers to the Congress party in order to divert the issue but to act on resolving the crisis and restoring peace and normalcy.
With reference to defence minister Rajnath Singh assuring assistance of Indian Air Force to destroy illegal poppy farms, the Congress party functionary contended that instead of taking advantage of such offers, the government is wasting its time on insignificant matters.
Tilotama further said that the real clash in the state is the Kukis versus the Government and not between Kukis and Meeteis as being projected.
Meetei did not start the clash and it would be wrong to project it as a communal or ethnic clash, she maintained.
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