While campaigning in Imphal just ahead of the polls, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi demanded that the contents of the Naga Accord signed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015, should be made public.
“The Centre has signed the Naga Peace Accord, but nobody knows about its contents. Even Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh and the state government are not aware of it. Why are the people of Manipur being kept in the dark about the contents of the agreement?” questioned Gandhi.
Rahul’s demand comes after PM Modi during his poll campaign in Imphal on February 25, had accused the Congress government in Manipur of “spreading a false propaganda” on the Naga Accord. The PM had said that there was nothing in it that was detrimental to the interests of the state.
A Congress rally in Manipur.
In his rally, Rahul accused the Prime Minister of “spreading hate and lies”.
“Wherever Narendra Modi goes, he spreads lies, hatred and enmity among brothers. He makes false promises. He had levelled baseless allegations of corruption against the Ibobi Singh government. He always makes false claims,” Rahul said.
Three-time Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh also demanded deatils about the Naga peace pact.
“They (the Centre) should put it up on the website, so that the people can have a look at it and decide whether it will compromise the territorial integrity of the state (Manipur) or not,” said the Congress CM.
The Naga Peace Accord, termed as a ‘Framework Agreement’, was signed between the NSCN-IM and the Centre in August, 2015 after over 80 rounds of negotiations spanning 18 years. The first breakthrough came in 1997 when the ceasefire agreement was signed with the banned outfit.
The contents of the Naga Peace Accord have been a major issue in the run-up to the coming Manipur Assembly polls with the Congress accusing the BJP of compromising the territorial integrity of the state and the latter denying the allegation.
Rahul urged voters to bring back the Congress to power, saying only a Congress government can lead Manipur towards the path of development and prosperity.
Referring to the Centre’s decision to scrap high-value currency notes, he said, “Demonetisation has had an adverse impact on the livelihood of the poor of this country. Farmers, daily wage labourers were the ones most affected due to it.”
Assembly polls are scheduled be held in Manipur in two phases, on March 4 and 8.
