"5 Years Of Darkness": Congress's Swipe At BJP Rule In Manipur

The Congress has hit out at the BJP manifesto for Manipur and released a booklet named "5 years of darkness" where it claimed to have outlined with proof alleged misrule of the BJP led government in the state.

Senior Congress leader and AICC Observer for Manipur polls, Jairam Ramesh, described the BJP's claim of bringing stability to poll-bound Manipur as "hollow" and its zero-tolerance policy towards drugs as a "joke".

Congress, which is the main opposition party in Manipur, also has hit out at the BJP over its silence on the controversial military law AFSPA.

After the killing of civilians in the Mon district of Nagaland during an alleged "botched up operation" by the Army Para Commandos to target terrorists, a section of people stood against the contentious AFSPA and demanded the complete repeal of the act from Nagaland and Manipur.

Releasing the manifesto earlier in the day, BJP national president JP Nadda asserted that under the leadership of Chief Minister N Biren Singh, the state has seen development in the last five years, and has managed to successfully tackle the drug menace in the state.

"BJP says they will take the administration to the door steps of people. This is actually an insult to the people of Manipur since in past years no elections have taken place in the Autonomous district councils or the ADC have been killed," senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, who is AICC Observer for Manipur, said.

He also accused the BJP of playing vote bank politics over job reservation for women.

"The Congress in its manifesto has promised employment and empowerment of women through jobs reservation BJP is Giving nothing," Mr Ramesh said.

The Congress Rajya Sabha MP also hit out at the BJP over its silence on the controversial military act AFSPA.

"The BJP and its party chief JP Nadda are silent on AFSPA and we all know that Congress had taken a stand to repeal it," he said.

The state elections in Manipur will be held in two phases on February 28 and March 5.