Sonia Gandhi says MNF, ZPM gateways for BJP to enter Mizoram, don\'t experiment

Guwahati: In what has gone viral on the social media in poll-bound Mizoram, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi has made an appeal to voters not to experiment with the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) and opposition Zoram Peoples Movement (ZPM) saying that they are the gateways for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) into the state.

The video message released by the Congress party that has gone viral in the state, Ms Gandhi accused the saffron party of dividing the society in Manipur, a BJP-ruled state which has witnessed ethnic clashes between Meiteis and Kuki tribals since May, and questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not visiting the violence-hit state.

The release of the video message coincided with the visit of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh who accused Congress party of politicising the ethnic violence of Manipur.

Ms Gandhi in her video message said, “The MNF and ZPM say that they are independent. But are they really? No, I believe they are not. They are gateways for the Bharatiya Janata Party into Mizoram.”

It is significant that the Congress lost power to the MNF in Mizoram in 2018 and came down to 5 seats in the 40 member assembly- less than the ZPM’s 8 seats. Mizoram will go to polls on November 7.

Ms Gandhi said that the Congress will never compromise with the BJP and it’s the only party that can guarantee development of Mizoram, empowerment of its people and protection for the weakest in society.

Asserting that the Congress is the only party that can fulfill guarantees made to voters, she reiterated, “We stand for the protection of the Mizo way of life as enshrined in Article 371 G of the Constitution, which is the legacy of Rajiv Gandhi.”

The Article 371G, which came into existence after the 53rd constitution amendment in 1986, is a special provision for Mizoram which states that no Act passed by Parliament related to religious and social practices of Mizos, customary laws and procedures, administration of civil and criminal involving decisions according to Mizo customary law and ownership and transfer of land shall be applicable in Mizoram unless the state assembly passes a resolution approving it.

“That is why, I make a personal appeal especially to the youth and women of Mizoram. This is no time for experiments. Please vote for the Congress. The hand of experience and the hand of security. The vote for the Congress is for peace, for progress and prosperity in Mizoram,” said Ms Gandhi while accusing that democracy was under threat from the BJP and the RSS in Mizoram, the northeast and across the rest of India. She said that the BJP wants to impose uniformity across India.

She said, “Six months of suffering have gone by (in Manipur), but there is no effort towards peace and reconciliation. The Prime Minister is completely silent and has not seen it fit to visit Manipur for even a few hours.”

She also pointed out, “In Parliament, the BJP forces laws which weaken the rights of tribals to the land and forests and doesn’t even allow the Mizoram member of parliament to speak.”