AICC vows to fight for State's integrity
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, November 03 2019: Catego-rically stating that it would not accept any peace accord or agreement which impinges upon the territory of Mani-pur, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) has vowed to fight any solution which impinges upon the territory of Manipur.

A committee constituted at the instruction of AICC president Sonia Gandhi and headed by Congress MP and former Union Minister Jairam Ramesh is currently touring the North East States.

The committee arrived here today.

Speaking to media persons at Congress Bhavan here this afternoon, Jairam Ramesh categorically stated that the Naga peace accord would not be allowed to touch even an inch of Manipur's territory.

The peace accord must not disturb the internal political arrangement of Mani- pur as well as the State Government's relation with the Autonomous District Councils of hill districts, Jairam said.

AICC vows to fight for State's integrity

If the peace accord challenges the existing political arrangements, Congress party would fight it tooth and nail, he said.

He said that their tour is aimed at assessing the situation prevailing in the North East States in connection with the NRC exercise and the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) .

Nonetheless, taking serious note of the Naga peace talk which is being viewed with deep suspicion and apprehension by the people of Manipur, the committee started its tour by visiting Manipur today, Jairam said.

He said that they would visit other Northeastern States too.

A Framework Agreement was signed between the Government of India and NSCN-IM four years back.

But the agreement is kept in such secrecy that the then Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and all the Chief Ministers of Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh had no idea about it, he remarked.

Noting that the two sides came to an agreement on October 31, the Congress MP asserted that the terms of agreement should be disclosed to public, and the States of Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh should be taken on board.

Commenting on CAB which BJP has been working to table in the Parliament, Jairam said that the Bill is discriminatory apart from challenging secular values of the Constitution as well as Articles 14 and 21 .

Congress party would take full responsibility of fighting against CAB both inside and outside Parliament, he vowed.

The idea of NRC was conceptualised in 1951 exclusively for Assam and it became a part of the Assam Accord, 1985.The exercise was completed only recently, he remarked.

Before the NRC exercise was launched, it was estimated that there might be around four crore illegal immigrants in Assam.

But at the end of the exercise, around 19 lakh illegal immigrants were detected.

Congress party will always oppose immigration of foreigners into Assam and other parts of the country, Jairam said.

If any NRC-like exercise should be carried out beyond Assam, it should be done very meticulously.

There should be prior consultation with political parties, public and all stake holders.

Moreover, proper administrative measures should be taken up.

At the same time, NRC exercises should not harass any citizen of the country, he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah raked up the issues of CAB and NRC deliberately to divert public attention away from the economic crisis besieging the country, Jairam said.

They took up the issues of NRC and CAB to divert public attention from the current economic crisis characterised by worsening agrarian woes, closure of factories, rising unemployment, declining tax revenue etc, he added.

AICC General Secretary Mukul Wasnik, former Union Minister Jitendra Singh, MP Manickam Tagore, CLP leader Okram Ibobi and MPCC president M Okendro were also present at the press meet.

Ahead of the press meet, the AICC representatives led by Jairam Ramesh, discussed about the State's key issues with MPCC leaders and office bearers.