- Aribam Bishwajit
Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi lambasted the PM Modi-led government, accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and RSS of ‘undermining’ the state’s history, culture, and language when they come to the state.
Addressing a political campaign at Hapta Kangjebung in Imphal, the Congress MP said: “When BJP and RSS come to Manipur, they come not with respect, not understanding. They come with a sense of superiority. I don’t come with a sense of superiority; I come with humility.”
“I come with humility because I understand that you have a lot to give. I come with humility because I know that there is a lot I can learn from you, from the diverse tribes, from the hills and valley, from everybody here,” the Congress scion added.
Rahul, attacking PM Modi, said: “He believed that he has a superior language and that he has the right to define India. On the contrary, I want to help preserve your language. I want to help preserve your culture and harmony. This is the difference between us.”
Rahul also questioned the benefits of Oil Palm Mission Manipur to the state’s people and alleged that BJP wants to destroy Manipur’s future with it.
“BJP wants to take your beautiful state and planing palm oil plantation. Will it help Manipur or the companies like Patanjali and two or three really big businesses in the country? The same business demonetization helped. Their flawed GST, demonetization, and three farm laws helped. That is not our vision for Manipur,” Rahul asked and added: “We are not interested in helping Baba Ramdev; we want to protect the future of Manipur…empower rice farmers and guarantee MSP.”
In the last few days, BJP leaders who visited Manipur to escalate the election campaign tears into Congress party and its leader Rahul Gandhi as they attend poll campaigns in different parts of the state.
On Friday, Union Minister Smriti Irani and BJP Manipur in-charge Sambit Patra berated Rahul Gandhi, saying that the “Congress party always “neglected the North East region and operated it as an ATM to fill their pocket.” The duo urged an assemblage under the Wangkhei assembly constituency to boycott Rahul Gandhi’s today’s visit.
Union minister and former Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, joining the aggressive campaign on Sunday, hit out at the grand old party, saying that the party is corrupt and is responsible for turning Manipur into a conflict zone.” However, BJP can ensure the peace remains in Manipur, Sonowal stressed.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Imphal tomorrow to address an election rally at Luwangshanbam in Imphal East, near the residence of state chief minister N Biren Singh amid a boycott by the Coordination Committee or CorCom, a conglomeration of six banned armed proscribed groups in Manipur.
20, 48, 169 electorates will vote in two phases to elect 60 members of Manipur Legislative Assembly on February 28 and March 5. The counting of votes takes place on March 10.
