Modi kicks off Manipur fight

from calling it an accord, referring to it as a Framework Agreement.

Modi said the Okram Ibobi Singh-led Congress government was carrying on “false campaign and misleading the people regarding the Naga Accord”. “The Naga Accord was signed one-and-half years ago. What were you doing? Were you in deep sleep? All of a sudden you have woken up before elections. You are making false claims to mislead the people,” the PM said.

For the past week, student leaders and members of the All Manipur Students Union have been holding agitations demanding that the Centre “reveal the contents of the Naga peace accord”. The Congress government has alleged that the details are being kept “secret” as they “compromise the territorial integrity of Manipur”. Ibobi Singh has also accused the Centre of siding with the Nagas and the NSCN (I-M) against Manipur.

On Friday, the NSCN (I-M) issued a statement, through its Ministry of Information and Publicity, calling the Framework Agreement “a milestone for the Nagas”. “Some greedy people are trying to rebut the ‘Framework Agreement’ without any decency,” it said.

After Modi’s speech, Ibobi Singh held a press conference where he hit back at the PM and said that if “the Framework Agreement is indeed in the interests of Manipur state, why is it being kept hidden”.

Modi consistently attacked the CM in his speech, holding him directly responsible for the economic blockade that has been on in the state since November 2016. “On the one hand he incites and provokes the people against the blockade, on the other hand he pays money to those who have called the blockade. They think more blockades will benefit the Congress; that more the people suffer, more it would benefit the Congress. Even a child knows who benefits from it,” he said.

Modi claimed that Ibobi Singh had failed to break the blockade despite the help extended by the Centre. “We have repeatedly told the state government that we will provide support to it to remove the blockade. But this Congress government did not do anything. This is a fully heartless government which wants to harass people, keep them starving, just with an eye on the elections. Such a heartless government should not be allowed to continue. People should punish such a government. They are playing with your lives by inciting brothers against brothers.”

Asking people to vote for the BJP, Modi said, “Vote for the BJP, and we will show you what we can do in just 15 months, what the Congress could not in 15 years.”

The PM also accused Ibobi Singh of corruption, saying everyone in the state knew who was the “10 per cent chief minister”. “No chief minister elsewhere in the country talks about any percentage. But what I have heard here is that everything is measured in terms of percentage. When I first heard about this 10 per cent, I did not understand what it was, until someone explained it to me. I am told all of you know about this 10 per cent commission, and you know who takes it. Why do you let him continue then?” Modi asked.

Asking the people to calculate how much money had been diverted thus, the PM said, “Manipur wants a 0 per cent CM, 0 per cent ministers, and a 0 per cent government. Only then will the state develop and people become happy. How much has been taken away through this 10 per cent in 15 years? Had this 10 per cent not been taken away, Manipur would have seen a lot of development... Why give 10 per cent to someone when the BJP will give 100 per cent for development? Decide what you want: 10 per cent corruption or 100 per cent development.”