Northeast Desk, 14th April: Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has raised pointed questions about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s notable absence from Imphal, underscoring a broader critique of the Prime Minister’s political engagements in Northeast India.
Currently, Prime Minister Modi is actively campaigning in Assam, recently addressing a public gathering in Nalbari and conducting a grand roadshow in Guwahati the preceding day. His itinerary includes plans to continue campaign activities in Agartala.
Ramesh’s critique, delivered in a series of three questions posed to PM Modi, sharply criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) for alleged unfulfilled promises and overlooked crises.
Highlighting a significant concern, Ramesh emphasized the lack of a visit by the Prime Minister to Manipur, despite the outbreak of violence in the region in May of the previous year. He stressed that the situation had escalated to a level reminiscent of ‘civil war,’ yet Modi has not made an official visit to the state.
In one of his questions, Ramesh urged Prime Minister Modi to address the ongoing crisis in Manipur, where more than 200 people have been killed and over 60,000 displaced since May 3rd, 2023. He called attention to the Supreme Court’s allegations of a “complete breakdown in Constitutional machinery” and questioned Modi’s silence on the matter.
Further pressing the Prime Minister, Ramesh questioned Modi’s commitments to tea garden workers in Assam, highlighting discrepancies between promises made and actions taken. He pointed out the failure to increase wages as promised and the delay in granting Scheduled Tribe status to tea garden workers.
Additionally, Ramesh criticized the BJP’s unfulfilled promises to make Assam “flood-free,” despite repeated assurances from party leaders. He highlighted the persistent issue of floods in the state, causing significant damage and loss to farmers every year, and questioned the Modi government’s failure to prevent floods and compensate victims adequately.
These questions from Jairam Ramesh underscored the concerns of the people in Northeast India and urged Prime Minister Modi to address these issues and fulfill the promises made by the government.