Maybe it was the venue but it is interesting to note that Amit Shah, National president of the BJP and Rahul Gandhi, National vice president of the AICC touched on entirely different subjects in their address to the people. So while Amit Shah talked about corruption and failure of the State Government to submit utilisation certificates on time for the many development works taken up in the State, Rahul Gandhi sought to project the Congress as the only political party which is committed to protecting the territorial integrity of the State. Amit Shah made his observation while addressing an election rally at Kangpokpi while Rahul Gandhi said this while addressing another public meeting at Hapta Kangjeibung, right in the heart of Imphal city. A clear reflection that the election this time is a highly polarised one with the valley and the hill districts not seeing eye to eye on many key issues besetting the State. And it is along this line that Amit Shah did not say anything on the territorial integrity of Manipur but concentrated on projecting the State as a tourism capital, development and the BJP’s Vision 2020 while addressing an election rally at Ukhrul on March 1. So it is that Central leaders, whether they are from the BJP or the Congress, will touch on issues specific to the hills or the valley and it is this which is extremely worrying. Not because the political leaders talk on different issues, but it reflects how deeply divided Manipur is today.
And if Rahul Gandhi talked about the Congress protecting the territorial integrity of the State, then can the Framework Agreement be left unattended ? It was along this line that the speech of Rahul Gandhi proceeded and to the many who turned up at the meeting venue, this must have gone down well. Clear that the two principal political parties are leaving nothing to chance ahead of the election and to repeat an earlier point one just have to look at the advertisement blitzkriegs of the BJP and the Congress. It is to hit where it hurts that the BJP has gone ahead and dubbed Chief Minister O Ibobi with so many adjectives, all related to corruption and not to be left behind, the Congress too has centred its advertisement on the territorial integrity of the State with one particular insertion questioning how many family members of the NSCN (IM) are contesting the election as BJP candidates. Whether this is in good taste or not is for the people to decide, but as stated earlier a line needs to be drawn somewhere. And it is the two political parties which should draw the line and not anyone else.
Source: The Sangai Express
