IMPHAL, Dec 3: The Congress party in Manipur made another
attack on the BJP-led government recently over the situation in
violence-hit Manipur, saying that instead of working to resolve
the current crisis, the incumbent government is trying to divert
the issue by blaming the previous government.
The Congress’ attack came days after chief minister N Biren
Singh recently blamed the previous government for not
properly guarding the Indo-Myanmar border which is,
according to him, behind infiltration of illegal immigrants in
large scale.
Addressing a press conference, senior Congress leader and
former chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh said that instead of
blaming the previous government, the incumbent government
must work to find a solution to the almost seven months old
crisis.
He refuted the allegation that the previous government did
nothing to effectively guard the Indo-Myanmar border while
asserting that it was during Congress regime that the border
fencing work along the Manipur sector of the international
border was taken up.
The initial border fencing of the 10 km stretch of the border
was taken up during his tenure as chief minister with the
consent of the then Congress-led UPA government, Ibobi said.
However, there was little progress in the fencing work even
after nearly 10 years rule of the BJP-led NDA government at the
Centre, he also said.
The Modi government at the Centre is going to complete 10
years. At the same time, the BJP-led government in the state
has also completed seven years, he added.
The fencing work of the 10 km stretch of the border is to be
completed. At the same time, the leaders of the incumbent
government are criticizing the previous government as it had
done nothing, Ibobi further said.
The former three time chief minister then said that it is the
bounden duty of the Centre to guard the international border
to check infiltration of illegal immigrants and cross border
smuggling of illegal goods including drugs.
At the same time, protection of land and forest is also the
bounden duty of the government and if the government
considers the eviction of encroachers in the reserved and
protected forest areas, they should be evicted through proper
channels.
He then reiterated that instead of blaming the previous
government, it would be the best option on the part of the
present government to find ways to resolve the crisis.
Attending the press conference, Manipur Pradesh Congress
Committee (MPCC) president Keisham Meghachandra, while
strongly reacting to chief minister N Biren’s repeated claim on
returning the state to normalcy, said that it seemed that the
chief minister is unaware of the fact that over 50,000 internally
displaced people are still taking refuge in the relief camps.
He said that before making a statement, the chief minister
should look at the ground reality of the situation.
“For the government, the peace might have been returned.
But, the harsh reality is that there is no peace in the state in
general and in the fringe areas in particular,” he pointed out.
Whenever the chief minister claims peace has returned, there
is firing in the fringe areas, he also said.
Sitting Congress MLAs and other MPCC leaders also attended
the press conference. (NNN)
