Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh would destroy the Mizo way of life if the Bharatiya Janata Party makes an entry into Mizoram by riding piggyback on the Mizo National Front (MNF).
He warned that the BJP-RSS combine would do to Mizoram what they have done to institutions such as the Central Bureau of Investigation, Reserve Bank of India and Election Commission.
“I am absolutely certain the BJP and RSS want to destroy the Mizo history, culture, language and everything else. I am sad to see the MNF aligning with the BJP-RSS and allowing them to have a foothold in Mizoram. By working with the BJP, the MNF is damaging your culture and your attempt to build a prosperous Mizoram,” Mr. Gandhi said in Aizawl, at the second of his two rallies in Mizoram
The MNF is a member of the BJP-helmed North East Democratic Alliance but has made a conscious effort to distance itself from the saffron party. But the Congress in Mizoram claims MNF continues to have a tacit understanding with the BJP and is being helped by the saffron party.
Mizoram is the only State in the Northeast where the Congress rules.
“They (BJP) know people will reject them in the 2019 election. So, they are trying to infiltrate their people into every institution, be it the Planning Commission, judiciary or the educational system. Merit no longer matters. If you are a member of the RSS, you can become the vice-chancellor of a university or the governor of a state. The only thing you have to follow is what they believe. They have destroyed the CBI, RBI and the EC,” Mr. Gandhi alleged.
He assured the voters that the Congress would fight the BJP-RSS and protect the identity, culture, history, and languages of the people of Mizoram. “Mizos, not Nagpur, will decide your future,” he said.
Amit Shah alleges Congress has misused Central funds
The day also saw BJP president Amit Shah addressing two rallies. At Lawngtlai, he criticised the Lal Thanhawla’s Congress government for misusing Central funds and letting party workers benefit from the flagship New Land Use Policy (NLUP).
“NLUP funds were used for election purposes, which made the Congress government bankrupt and forced it to sell liquor,” he said, adding NLUP was as much as a scam for the Congress as the Tuirial (river in Mizoram) Hydro Project compensation was during the MNF reign.
