NEW DELHI/SHILLONG: Large scale protests poured in from all quarters against the BJP’s vision document branding people from North East as “immigrants” even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleged that some people with vested interests were trying to instigate the people from the Northeast against the party.
In his election rally here, the Prime Minister said, “I have seen that attempts are being made to incite our northeastern brothers and sisters.”
Earlier, the protestors also burnt the effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
In its vision document for the February 7 Delhi assembly elections released on Tuesday, the BJP said “north eastern immigrants to be protected”. The protesters asked if the people from the North East living in the national capital were foreigners.
Lone Rajya Sabha MP from Meghalaya Wansuk Syiem took strong exception to the BJP’s vision document stating, “This shows the ruling party’s arrogance and step motherly treatment towards people from Northeast. Are we (the people from North East) from Bangladesh,” she questioned.
Unfortunately, such anti-national statements have been made by the BJP when the External Affairs Minister is on a visit to neighbouring China which is claiming a major chunk of the region as its territory, she added.
Sayeedullah Nongrum, political advisor to Chief Minister Mukul Sangma also lodged a strong protest against the BJP’s vision document.
“For the first time a ruling party which claims itself to be nationalist, is giving anti-national statements,” he said.
A strongly worded letter was also dispatched to the President of India condemning the “derogatory remark” against the people of the Northeast by the ruling party, said Changme Sangma, a prominent student leader from Meghalaya.
The letter has been sent by the community of North East people living in the national capital, she said.
State BJP apologises for ‘clerical error’
Meanwhile, the State BJP also apologised for the “clerical error” in the party’s vision document for Delhi Assembly polls in which it described people from the northeastern states as “immigrants’.
“The party central leadership has made it very clear that it was not intentional. I urge the people not be hurt by this issue,” State BJP general secretary Dipayan Chakraborty said in a statement issued here on Wednesday.
He also said that the BJP-led Government at the Centre is committed to ensure security to the people of the region.
NECCC condemnation
The North East Congress Coordination Committee (NECCC) also strongly condemned the discriminatory statement made by the BJP in its vision document.
NECCC chairman, DD Lapang said that this is an insult to all citizens.
Lapang said that terming the incident as a clerical error only goes to show the carelessness and lackadaisical attitude of the party.
“The real intentions and objectives of the party (BJP) have been exposed and its agenda of social divide and pseudo nationalism is now out in the open,” Lapang said.
