IMPHAL, December 28: President of the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee, Gaikhangam has asserted that criticisms of the government by the Opposition political parties are sheer tactics to gain publicity and urged the party workers to continue to work for the public.
While speaking at the 128th foundation day of the Congress at Congress Bhavan today, Gaikhangam stated that for quite a long time people were thinking whether there is any opposition party in the state but we realized their existence from the loud cries of their criticism. If the criticisms are not fair, people will not take them seriously, he added.
The Congress has benefitted from their false criticism as it will create more hype for the party. In a sarcastic tone he said the party will like to express thanks that despite their busy schedule the Opposition parties are building publicity on its behalf. We need not have publicity department for the next elections, he added.
He stated that the Congress party, which is one of the oldest political parties in the world, has contributed most for the public and country from the time of the freedom movement of India till today. It can be said that ‘Congress history’ is ‘Indian history’ and without Congress the history of India will be meaningless and incomplete, he stated.
Under the guardianship of Sonia Gandhi and Dr Manmohan Singh, the party has ruled and served India for the last ten years. The schemes and programmes set up by the government are evidences that it is a pro-people government, he stated.
He said, the fate of the party at Delhi does not meant the downfall of the Congress, inferring that it was the aftereffect of the loss of communication and co-ordination between state leaders of the party. We need to introspect about the past performances of the party and the schemes and programmes undertaken by it as well as its achievement and the result on the public.
People are confused by the assertions from the opposition parties that they are going to usurped power from the Congress, he said. Allaying fear of such a situation becoming a reality, Gaikhangam said under the leadership of Okram Ibobi the state is continuously progressing and in the next 20-30 years, it is going to leave other states behind.
Dr Vijayalaxmi Sadhop MP of Rayja Shabha and secretary of All India Congress Committee-in-charge of Manipur, asserted that Manipur can be counted as one state where women take a vital role in almost every part of its history including the freedom struggle. We know that Indian government has set a reservation of 33 percent in elected bodies which was proposed by the Rajeev Gandhi, she stated adding that now women empowerment is being explored in every state of the country, appealing to women to come out from the kitchen to the platform of social works.
She further mentioned that the women of Manipur are more involved in social works than their counterparts in the rest of the country.
Chief Minister Okram Ibobi could not be present at the observation as the arrival of his flight was deferred. Ibobi was in Delhi to attend the meeting of Congress leaders and chief ministers which was convened by AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi.
The congress party paid respect to 26 persons departed leaders and workers by observing two minute silence.