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Indira Gandhi saved Mizoram in 1966; '...would never have said': Cong's reply to PM Modi
Jairam Ramesh condemned PM Modi's criticism of indira Gandhi's 1966 decision regarding Mizoram and said a responsible PM would have never said this.
As PM Modi mentioned the Mizoram bombing of 1966 in Parliament in his reply to the no-confidence emotion as he was speaking on the Manipur situation, Congress gave its reply to PM Modi's mention of Indira Gandhi and said any one who takes the prime ministerial role with full responsibility would never have said this. Questioning the decision of bombing the innocent people of Mizoram in 1966, PM Modi said the Congress should answer whether it was the Air Force of any other country.
"were the people of Mizoram not the citizens of my country? Was their security not the responsibility of the government of India? Till today, Mizoram mourns the 5th of March. Their wounds never healed because they (Congress) never made any attempt to heal those wounds. And the Congress put a lid to this truth. Whose government was in power? India Gandhi," PM Modi said.
A day later, Jairam Ramesh tweeted that PM Modi's criticism of the 'extraordinarily tough decision' of March 1966 was pathetic. "His criticism of Indira Gandhi's extraordinarily tough decision of March 1966 in Mizoram to deal with secessionist forces that drew support from Pakistan and China was particularly pathetic," Jairam Ramesh wrote.
"She saved Mizoram, started negotiations with those fighting the Indian state and finally a Peace Accord was signed on June 30, 1986. The manner in which the Accord came about is a remarkable story that reinforces the idea of India in Mizoram today," the Congress leader wrote.
"Anyone who takes their role as Prime Minister with full responsibility of the incredibly tough decisions one needs to make in that chair would never have said this," Jairam Ramesh added.
Congress's Abhishek Singhvi tweeted, “If Indira Gandhi did not deal with Mizoram in 1966 we would have seen a further vivisection of Bharat funded by Pak & China. How can bjp & its ministers incl non1 and 2 be so casual & irresponsible on a matter of territorial integrity?”
'Indian Air Force did the same thing in Aizawl': Himanta Biswa Sarma
The Mizoram bombing was mentioned by Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma as well on Friday as he found fault with Rahul Gandhi's suggestion that Army can control the Manipur situation. "Indian Air Force did the same thing in Aizawl. Violence was coming down after the bombing. Today Rahul Gandhi said Indian Army should stop the violence in Manipur. That means what? They should open fire on civilians?" Himanta said.
