Ibobi criticises Modi’s visit and BJP

Pothashang News Service: Imphal, January 7, 2019: Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee has claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi visit in Manipur and Assam had befooled the people instead of answering the genuine questions raised by it.

Manipur Congress Legislature party leader and former chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh said MPCC raised 13 questions to the Prime Minister ahead of his visit on January 4. The Prime Minister failed to answer the questions, said Ibobi during a press conference at Congress Bhawan in Imphal today.

The Prime Minister had provoked the people of Manipur and North East instead of announcing packages for the people, Ibobi said. The North East Students’ Organisation had announced total shut down-strike on Tuesday, which is an example of igniting the North East by his recent visit in the North East, he added.

The Prime Minister n the same day he visited Manipur he announced in a public meeting that the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016 will be passed soon. The North East region especially Manipur will be affected by the bill. The influx from Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan as permitted by the bill will threaten the small indigenous people of the region, and there is fear of extinction of the indigenous race, Ibobi said.

We strongly oppose the citizenship bill, he added.

The BJP Manipur Pradesh has accused the previous Congress government of incurring a debt of Rs 9, 300 crores, Ibobi said. It was a gross misinterpretation. According to the budget document it was only a debt of Rs 8, 322.37 crores in 2016-17. In 2017-18 it rose to Rs 9085.01 crores and it was projected to be Rs 9873 .29 crores in 2018-19, said Ibobi.

How the debt could have crossed more than Rs 1551 crores in this nearly two years of BJP rule, he asked.

Ibobi urged the BJP to research thoroughly before they make allegations against the past Congress government. He also appealed the BJP and not to mislead people.

He said the BJP claims that they have taken up number of projects in this short period of time like the Doaithabi Barrage which was inaugurated with other projects by the Prime Minister during his visit. The BJP-led government like God claims as if it has taken so many projects in this short period of time, said Ibobi.

The Prime Minister during his campaign in Imphal in February, 2017, said if BJP comes to power, within 48 hours indefinite blockades in the state will be ended. This shows that the bandhs and blockades in Manipur in the past were sponsored by the Prime Minister, and the chief minister always says there is no more bandh and blockade in Manipur, Ibobi mocked.