Modi wants to win Northeast to pursue ‘Hindutva’:Azad

Guwahati: The ruling Congress party is leaving no stone unturned to defeat the anti-incumbency in the frontier state of Meghalaya by launching a direct attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and accusing him of pursuing the agenda of “Hindutva”.
A day after releasing the manifesto of the party committing at least one job to each family, leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad on Sunday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s special interest in North Eastern Region was aimed at strengthening Rashtriya Swayamseak Sangh (RSS) base in the Christian dominated area.
Azad, while addressing a public rally in the state, said, “BJP is following same strategy in both—-Kashmir and Northeastern states. They want to propagate Hindutva in Meghalaya as well.”
Pointing out that the BJP is anti-Christian, Azad said that they follow the dictate of their mentor RSS which has the agenda of controlling the Christian states.
Questioning the secular credential of NDA government, the veteran Congress leader said, “In Uttar Pradesh, fridges in Muslim households were checked whether it had meat of different type which they don’t like the same thing is going to happen here in Meghalaya if they somehow manage to come into power.”
Azad who was addressing the public rally in Rilbong in South Shillong constituency -one of the five general seats in Meghalaya where a direct contest is between BJP and Congress, said that Congress has always been in the forefront of preserving the unique tribal identity of the Northeastern states.
Facing a strong anti-incumbency of eight years in the state, the ruling Congress party in its manifesto has pledged to create three lakh new jobs, and assured to provide one job to every household. The party has also committed to set up a transparent and effective public delivery system and if voted to power it would enhance health care facilities and education.
The party also proposed that it would provide a lump sum amount of Rs 15000 as a wedding assistance to orphaned girl child.
“We will set a new benchmark of transparent and effective public delivery system which will ensure that the governance is pro people,” the Congress party pledged in its manifesto, which was released by Congress General Secretary CP Joshi along with the state office bearers at Shillong.
Proposing to set up an exclusive market for women at Shillong, Tura and Jowai, where the retailers would be women only, the Congress party in its manifesto said, “No outlaw will be allowed to disturb the peace of the state. We will have ‘zero tolerance; to any desperate act of militancy.”