BJP slams Sonia on her criticism of Naga accord

Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman cited initial statements by the Congress chief ministers of north east states welcoming the accord to hit back at the main opposiiton party and suggested that they had been asked to delete their tweets as the party wanted to attack the government.

“On political issues, you are opposing the government. On economic issues, you are opposing. On Thursday on an issue of national security, you are opposing. Whose interest are you serving? 

“Congress has reached the absolute nadir, absolute bottom in their obstructionist politics,” she told reporters, hours after Gandhi attacked the government for not consulting the chief ministers of the region and accused it of arrogance.

Gandhi had said when she called her party’s chief ministers of Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, who are directly affected by the Naga accord, she found that they were “totally blank” on the issue.

“Nobody has even bothered to brief them, perhaps not in detail, but in a wide sense. After all, our chief ministers are directly affected, be it Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh or Assam. So, what do I take from this? From this I take that this government is arrogant,” she had told reporters.

Sitharaman said the Centre had called a meeting of all state chief ministers connected with the accord but those from Congress had chosen to boycott it.

Quoting tweets and statements of Assam and Arunachal chief ministers Tarun Gogoi and Nabam Tuki besides Congress MP Ninong Ering, the BJP leader said all of them “welcomed” the accord with Ering calling it historic.

What her party is hearing that Congress has chosen to ask all its leaders from <g data-gr-id="65"><g data-gr-id="66">north</g></g> east not to welcome the accord and some have deleted their tweets and withdrawn their comments, she said.

Noting that Congress is the oldest party and had ruled the country for decades, Sitharam said its stand was “worrying” and it did not augur well for democracy.

Rejecting Opposition charge of Centre not consulting states on several issues, Sitharaman cited Government’s interaction with states over Niti Aayog and land bill.

She also raked up the previous UPA government’s inability in sealing Teesta water-sharing pact with Bangladesh due to the reservations of the West Bengal government to take potshots at Congress.

Noting that the opposition had been scuttling measures like GST bill which had been championed by it, she said it was no longer speaking the voice of the people and added that political parties remain relevant as long as they do so.

Asked why the details of the Naga pact were not disclosed yet by the Centre, Sitharaman said they were being worked out and would be shared at an appropriate time, adding that the government had no intention to keep them under wraps.

“It will go down as one of the best historic accords,” she said, adding that the government was fully concentrating on making the north east region a gateway to south east Asia and the pact will pave the way for peace and prosperity there.

Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan also took a dig at the Congress over its remarks on Naga accord asking whether one has to wait for Opposition’s views if Pakistan attacks India? 

“The strategy is not made by publicity, it is political strategy. Our government and Prime Minister have taken a historic step. The issue was hanging since Independence.