IMPHAL, February 4: The use of the term `immigrant`™ in the BJP Vision Document released ahead of the Delhi assembly election on February 7 has unveiled the true hidden face of BJP before the public especially the people from the North-East, stated deputy Chief Minsiter Gaikhangam.
The Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee has already reacted through the AICC against the statement made by the BJP, Gaikhangam added. It might be an error made while discussing the welfare of the people from the NE states but such errors in the BJP vision document which is also virtually the manifesto for the Delhi Assembly elections, reveals as to how the NE people are still sub-consciously treated by the BJP as people from outside the country, he said.
Even if the error is genuine, the BJP needs to issue an apology to the people of NE States, he said, adding the people from the NE are also proud citizens of India even though mainland Indians have racially discriminated against people from the North-East, he said.
For the last several years, racial discrimination has continued against the people from the North-East and the error in the manifesto of BJP ahead of the Delhi assembly elections has only made matters worse, he said.
The word in the sentence might have been used in good faith but by describing the people from the NE as immigrants while talking about their welfare has only increased the alienation among the people of Northeast states, he added.