After calling NE people ‘immigrants’, BJP showers sops with new document

A day after calling them ‘immigrants’ in its vision document for the February 7 elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came up with a customised vision document for people from the Northeast living in Delhi.

A day after calling them ‘immigrants’ in its vision document for the February 7 elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came up with a customised vision document for people from the Northeast living in Delhi.

Called ‘BJP for North East, Delhi 2015’, the vision document promises several sops for people residing in Delhi, including cheap accommodation taking into account the problems of high rent and overcharging.

“BJP promises a strict rent agreement with least security deposit mechanism and if necessary the rent control act would be amended,” states the document.

As a number of students in various universities are from the Northeast, the BJP has promised more accommodation in the form of hostels and state bhavans.

“BJP will ensure more financial assistance in the form of fellowships,” reads the document.

Being conscious of the discrimination that people from the Northeast face in Delhi, the BJP has promised to supplement the educational curriculum to ensure people have more awareness about NE people. “Through seminars we will try to change the mindset of the local people,” states the vision document.

Lhousino Sale from the Naga Students’ Union Delhi said that the party should have been more careful as such a mistake was not acceptable from a national party like the BJP. “The promises seem good but whether they will be able to deliver or not is a cause for concern. People from the Northeast are very much part of India. In Delhi too there are so many voters and such mistakes will not be tolerated,” she said.

Apart from this, a legal aid helpline will be provided to people from the Northeast and arrangements would be made for their regular interaction with the Delhi chief minister. “Assurances and promises by previous governments have failed but BJP for Northeast with the support of the PM Modi carries new hope. We have young and dynamic leaders like Kiren Rijjiju and Sarbananda Sonwal who have been very helpful. We hope to bring transformation for the Northeast people in Delhi,” states the document.