BJP woos with vows to punish corrupt
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 19 2011:
Contending that the Okram Ibobi Singh-led Congress Government has unholy nexus with various underground outfits, national president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Nitin Gadkari has asserted that if voted to power investigation would be ordered against corrupt SPF Ministers for initiation of punitive legal action.
Speaking at a packed public meeting organised by the State unit BJP at BOAT today in connection with the upcoming State Assembly election, the BJP president claimed that from about only 3-4 armed organisations, the number has risen to 30-40 groups during the tenure of the Congress Government under the leadership of Chief Minister Ibobi Singh.
Presence of such a large armed group has been adding to the problem of the common people, remarked the BJP chief, who is on a two-day State visit.
Noting that people of Manipur had endured severe hardships due to acute shortage of petroleum products and other essential items consequent to imposition of economic blockade for over three months, Gadkari ridiculed claim of the Congress as a people-friendly political organisation.
With apparent reference to the flag-ship MGNREGS programme of the UPA Government, he said UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh glorifying the Congress Government policy of ensuring Rs 60-90 daily wage to the working class section of the society when there have been numerous cases of suicide by farmers and escalation in prices of essential commodities tantamount to mocking the public.
Holding the Congress party responsible for the severe hardships faced by the common people, Gadkari conveyed purpose of his visit to Manipur visit is to emancipate the people from economic distress and provide suitable jobs to the deserving youths of the State.
He also highlighted that during the NDA rule, Prime Minister AB Vajpayee initiated and implemented a number of welfare schemes for the marginalised section of the society.
Noting rich cultural heritage and excellent performances by the Manipuri sportspersons, he rued that due to faulty policy of the Congress Government the State had been lagging behind in various other sectors.
Pointing out that BJP is an organisation that embraces every religion, he cited Dr APJ Abdul Kalam holding the highest office of the country to drive home the point that BJP is very much a secular political organisation.
Confidently stating that after the 2018 parliamentary election there would be a BJP Government in the centre, Gadkari said along with stress on ensuring quality surface connectivity, fulfilling aspiration of the people of North East would be top priority of the BJP.
Urging the people's support in the future endeavour of the BJP, he assured that the political organisation would continuously strive to restore peace and accelerate development in Manipur.
BJP national spokesperson and MP Prakash Javedkar addressing the gathering construed that rounding up of UG cadres/activists from official quarters at Babupara testify that the Ibobi Singh-led Government is hand-in-glove with banned organisations.
Accusing the Congress Government of financial mismanagement and indulging in siphoning off of huge development funds, he also left it to the wisdom of the electorates of whether or not to vote Congress back to power by reminding all concerned on the incidents of a Minister inflicting bullet injury to the Advocate General and son of another Minister shooting dead an innocent youth.
The saffron party's national general secretary Tapir Gao in his address labelled the SPF Government as most corrupted and alleged that Rs 360 crores provided to sanitise and develop the Loktak Lake has been misused by the Chief Minister.
State unit BJP leaders who also spoke at the occasion sought the people's support to the political organisation's endeavour to take Manipur on the path of overall development.