Vote for Cong to ensure peace, prosperity: Sonia in Mizoram

As the date for the Assembly election in Mizoram is coming closer, the Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi has appealed to the people of Mizoram to elect her party in the November 7 polls for peace, progress and prosperity in the northeastern state.

In a video message, she made a personal appeal especially to the youth and the women, saying that this is no time for experiments and a vote for the Congress as the party is the hand of experience and security.

The former party chief further said that the Congress is the only party that can guarantee the development of Mizoram, empowerment for its people, and protection for the weakest in society and recalled how the party has fulfilled its promises made in other states, including Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh.

In her three-minute video appeal, Gandhi also recalled her personal bond with the people of Mizoram and mentioned the visits she made with her husband and former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi to Mizoram.

“You all know I am sure that Mizoram occupies a very special place in my heart. I visited many times over the years. Your customs and culture, the beauty and richness of your land have left a deep impression on me. Above all I have never forgotten your warmth and affection,” she said.

“I remember with great fondness particularly the visit with my family right after the signing of the historic Mizo Peace Accord on June 30, 1986. The Accord is celebrated every year as Remna Ni,” she said.

Launching a frontal attack on the BJP and the RSS, she claimed that today, “democracy is under threat from the BJP and RSS in Mizoram, in the northeast and across India”.

“They value neither diversity, nor democracy, nor dialogue. They want to impose uniformity across India. In Parliament, the BJP forces laws which weaken the rights of tribals to their lands and forests and does not even allow the Mizoram MP to speak,” Gandhi said.

“In Manipur, the BJP has divided society bitterly. Six months of suffering have gone by, but there is no effort towards peace and reconciliation. The prime minister is completely silent and has not seen it fit to visit Manipur for even a few hours,” she alleged.

In Mizoram, she said, the MNF and the ZPM say they are independent, “but are they really? No, I believe they are not. They are gateways for the BJP into Mizoram. The Congress party will never compromise with the BJP.”