CM Ibobi and PM Modi war over the Naga Accord, accuse each other of misleading people over it
A war of words ensued in the Manipur capital on Saturday with PM Narendra Modi accusing CM Okram Ibobi Singh of misleading people on the Naga Accord. Ibobi, on the other hand, said that Modi's personal attack on Ibobi is because, "he may be worried and scared that Manipur may be difficult."
Amidst a total lockdown of the valley, owing to the bandh called by a collective of six militant outfits, the CorCom, Modi, in his lone rally at the CRPF grounds at Lanjing, said that he had personally spoken about the details of the accord to Ibobi, and assured the people that there is nothing about Manipur in it. In a conference held soon after the rally, CM Ibobi hit back by saying that if the integrity of Manipur is not threatened by the accord, then why was it not in the public domain.
"Everyone knows that the state government benefits from the blockade. Bhai-bhai key beech main jhagda laga diya (They have caused a drift between the different brothers of the state)," said Modi, adding that the BJP will not discriminate between the voters in the hills and those in the valley. There are 20 seats in the hill districts, while the remaining 40 seats are with the constituencies in the valley.
He called Ibobi the '10 per cent Chief Minister', accusing him of pocketing 10 per cent from all funds directed to the state. "The CM wants your 10 per cent, but I want to give you my 100 per cent," said the Prime Minister. Modi said that in the last two years, union ministers paid over 90 visits to the state, and asked the people to relay their problem to him via them.
He also spoke of job security, and said that the government takes a bribe for giving jobs, and that if the BJP comes to power, they will get rid of this scam. He raked the issue of a sports university, and said that the state government is yet to start work on it. Modi also spoke of building better roads.
CM Ibobi, on the other hand, mounted a scathing attack, replying to almost every allegation. In a conference held in Imphal, he said that Modi's jibes were baseless and that the BJP was peddling lies.
"We have been living peacefully in this state, and no one can say that there has been communal violence in Manipur. I don't know if I can say the same about Gujarat," he said.
He questioned the Centre's "Act East" policy, alleging that the special category state status from the eight northeastern states have been taken off since the NDA came to power.
"Between 2011-13, over Rs 1,000 crores were sanctioned to us, which was stopped after the NDA assumed power in 2014. There was this industrial policy of giving 30 per cent to investors, which was also stopped," Ibobi accused.
He also questioned the 90 visits of union ministers to the state and said, "Have they sanctioned any new projects here?"
Centre vs state: war of two titans
Speaking about the proposed sports universities, Manipur CM Okram Ibobi Singh said that in response to the Centre's demand for 200 acres in two districts, the state government provided 320 acres in Thoubal.
"Then the Union Sports Minister Vijay Goel said that the space was too low-lying. I reminded him that Union ministry officials only selected the place which we had allotted," he said.
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