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Journalism of Courage
Giving heat to the so-far lukewarm campaign for the coming elections in the three North Eastern states, the Congress on Friday said it would not allow the BJP to play its communal card in the Northeast.
Launching the poll campaign in Meghalaya, Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi said, “The BJP has broken the veneer of unity in many states by playing the communal card. In one state it targets one community, in other a different one.”
“What happened in Gujarat and Orissa points to the fact that the NDA, in any form, does not spare any community,” he said and accused the BJP for the recent attack on Christians in Orissa.
Dasmunshi said the UPA was committed to keep the social harmony in the NE intact by not allowing the BJP to succeed in its communal agenda in the region.
The UPA had never compromised in matters of development and unity of the people of the North East. The creation of the DoNER ministry stood testimony to this, he said.
The senior Congress leader said the ‘inclusive approach’ of the party towards all sections of the society was evident from the fact that the party has fielded non-tribal candidates in all the five non-reserved seats of Meghalaya.
“Despite being in the midst of insurgency-hit neighbours, Meghalaya has set an example to the rest of the country as to how to preserve peace, unity and dignity,” he said.
Dasmunshi, who released the Congress manisfesto in Shillong, said peace, comprehensiveness, stability and secularism were the mantras of the Congress and it was committed to protect
the identity of the ethnic communities and minorities.
Assembly election will be held in Tripura on February 23, in Meghalaya on March three and in Nagaland on March five.
On Nagaland, Dasmunsi predicted that the Congress would sweep the elections as “there is pro-Congress wave blowing in Nagaland after the DAN government failed to meet the aspirations of the people.”
The approach of the UPA to the North East has been substantial, he told reporters.
Stress has been given by the Centre to develop the region, especially the IT, education and health sectors, he said. “People have realized this, and we are sure that the
Congress will win in Meghalaya and Nagaland,” he added.
On the UPA’s commitment to North East region, Das Munshi said, “Just yesterday, the Union Cabinet had a meeting where it was decided that the quota of APL and BPL rice for the North East should not be reduced.”
Dasmunshi, who was accompanied by senior AICC leaders, including former Goa chief minister Luizinho Faleiro, on Friday flew to Nagaland from in Shillong to assess poll preparations of the party.
President’s Rule was imposed in Nagaland on January 3 following a controversial no-confidence vote that the Rio government won.
Earlier, the BJP, a constituent of the erstwhile Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) government, had vehemently opposed the imposition of central rule in the state and expressed concern that free and fair polling was not possible in the state.
