IMPHAL, Sep 14: “When the incumbent Government does not flinch a bit while stealing rice entitled to the impoverished mass of Manipur under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), what can one expect from it ?”, asked BJP National president Amit Shah referring to the Congress Government.
“The Opposition cannot face BJP on issues like development and corruption. So Congress is now spreading a rumour that BJP plans to redraw boundaries of States. I assure people of Manipur that not even an inch will be changed in the State’s boundary”, the BJP president asserted.
Amit Shah arrived here today with North East Democratic Alliance convenor Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP National general secretary Ram Madhav and BJP Manipur election-in-charge Prakash Javadekar.
Later, they took part in a Booth Karyakarta Sammelan at Hapta Kangjeibung where BJP Manipur Pradesh president K Bhabananda, BJP State Election Management Committee convenor Th Chaoba, MLA Th Bishwajit, MLA Kh Joykishan, Wangkhei AC ex-MLA Y Erabot and many other party leaders were also present.
Speaking at the gathering, Amit Shah stated that like Chief Minister Okram Ibobi, ex-Chief Minister of Assam Tarun Gogoi was making tall claims about implementing a number of development projects and welfare schemes for the people.
In the same manner, the Tarun Gogoi Government was routed in Assam, people of Manipur would definitely defeat the Ibobi Government.
Corruption has become the defining feature of the Congress Government and it was testified beyond any doubt by the recent fiasco in the recruitment of police Constables.
He went on to ask if any man recruited in Manipur Police can swear that he was recruited without giving bribe.
Congress Governments of Nagaland, Assam and Sikkim have been routed and non-Congress Governments have been established in these States. If the same trend continues, one can say there will be more than 50 BJP MLAs in Manipur after the forthcoming Assembly election, Amit Shah asserted.
He informed that the Central Government has set up separate campuses for North East students in Bangalore and Delhi.
“We are also taking steps to revive industry in North East so that the youth do not need to travel outside in search of jobs”, he stated.
Railway connectivity would reach Manipur in the coming years, and it would be extended to Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh subsequently.
BJP is well aware that Manipur and Haryana are the powerhouses of the country in the field of games and sports.
Although the Central Government took up necessary steps to establish a Sports University in Manipur, the State Government has not been responding positively till date.
The Central Government is like a HT power line while the State Governments are power transformers. It is the State Governments which should distribute power to the people.
But the Government of Manipur has been acting like a defunct transformer. As such, it needs immediate replacement.
The State Government is unable to submit utilization certificates for Rs 5000 crore sanctioned by the Centre.
People need to ask the State Government where and how it spent the Rs 5000 crore.
Talking about the project of removing phumdis from Loktak Lake, Amit Shah remarked that the State Government was ‘cleansing the huge amounts sanctioned for the project, but not Loktak Lake’.
He went on to declare that construction of four-lane highways which would connect Imphal with Myanmar and Thailand would be completed soon under the Act East Policy.
It is important that the North East develops together because individual States in the region cannot progress on their own, he added.
Th Chaoba said that the forthcoming election is crucial for the people of Manipur.
Kh Bhabananda remarked that the mammoth gathering was a clear indication of the people’s yearning for a change and their growing dislike for Congress party.
Notably, around 50,000 people attended the gathering and there was even some ruckus as people tried to enter the meeting venue through its main gate.
Many individuals aspiring to fight the forthcoming Assembly election attended the meeting with large a number of their supporters including N Nilakumar of Langthabal Assembly segment.
After the Booth Karyakarta Sammelan, a meeting of BJP Manipur Pradesh executive members was held at Hotel Imphal together with the party’s National president. There the Wangkhei AC ex-MLA, Y Erabot was felicitated.
Later in the afternoon, Amit Shah left Imphal.
BJP banners and festoons were put up all along the roads from Imphal airport to Kangla Park, Hapta Kangjeibung and Hotel Imphal.
