The Congress party on Tuesday hit out at Union minister Kiren Rijiju over his remark in Lok Sabha that the prime minister had directed a group of ministers to visit northeastern states every 15 days, challenging him to furnish details of such visits to strife-torn Manipur in the last 97 days.
Intervening in the debate on the no-confidence motion against the government, Rijiju said, "When our government was formed, in the first cabinet meeting, (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi ji made a group and said that every 15 days, five cabinet ministers and seven ministers of state must tour the Northeast. It is still going on, all the ministers sitting here have toured the northeast."
"PM Modi has also given directives to officials to visit the Northeast and meet people. There is no meaning of ruling from Delhi, one can reach the people through service. You never thought about this. The prime minister has won the confidence of the people," Rijiju said.
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The minister also claimed that people from the northeast faced racial discrimination before 2014 in major cities of the country, including the national capital, but the situation changed after BJP came to power. Rijiju said the prime minister also directed the police at the DGP conference in Guwahati to ensure the security of people from the northeast.
{{/usCountry}}The minister also claimed that people from the northeast faced racial discrimination before 2014 in major cities of the country, including the national capital, but the situation changed after BJP came to power. Rijiju said the prime minister also directed the police at the DGP conference in Guwahati to ensure the security of people from the northeast.
{{/usCountry}}Reacting to the remarks, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the minister “boasted about the prime minister's directions to ministers and Ministers of State to visit Northeast every 15 days.”
“Yes, we all know about the frequency of visits of Union Ministers before any election. But it has been 97 days since the horrific ethnic violence broke out in Manipur. INDIA asks how many of Modi’s Ministers have been to Manipur?” Ramesh said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
“We challenge you to furnish details of the visits of Union Ministers to Manipur in the last 97 days!”